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Qi5oo&0 3 ame0 C^ 0 


AUNT HANNAH AND SETH. 

CHRISTMAS AT DEACON HACKETT'S. 

DICK IN THE DESERT. 

DOROTHY'S SPY. 

HOW THE TWINS CAPTURED A HESSIAN. 
HOW TOMMY SAVED THE BARN. 

JOEY AT THE FAIR. 

OUR UNCLE THE MAJOR. 

SHORT CRUISE (A) 

WRECK OF THE CIRCUS (THE) 


£$om as & Company 

Jfrevn Horfc 




“WHAT DO YOU THINK?" SHE CRIED, BREATHLESS 




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LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Conies Received 


AUG 6 1906 


XoDyngnt Entry 
(2^ *7,/ ?0G 
CLASS } // <X XXc. No. 

/S2k 


Copyright, 1906, 
THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. 


Published , September , 1906, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Scheme 1 

II. A Mishap 18 

III. The Arrival 35 

IV. Rupert Assists 52 

V. A Long Ride 69 

VI. Rupert’s Whim 86 

VII. The Invalid 103 

VIII. A Matter of Business 120 

IX. Going to Topsham 137 

X. The Fair 153 

XI. The Blue Ribbon 170 







I 


















JOEY AT THE FAIR, 


CHAPTER I. 

THE SCHEME. 

“ There’s no mistake but that Joey’s calf prom- 
ises to make as likely a heifer as has been seen 
in this town for many a day,” Deacon Jonas 
Crawford said as he brought into the house two 
full pails of milk, giving them into the hands of 
his wife with an air of pride, much as if believing 
he, not the cows, should be credited with such a 
bountiful supply. 

“ But poor little Joey had to do a deal of 
coaxin’ before you’d consent to his raisin’ the 
calf, ” his wife replied as she made ready to strain 
the milk into tin pans which shone bright as 
silver, for Aunt Jane Crawford was noted far 
and wide, and justly, too, for being the neatest, 
most industrious housewife to be found in the 
village of Baldwin. 

“ I know it, mother, I know it, for if there’s 
1 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


2 

anything ’round a farm that will keep things 
littered up, an’ try a man’s temper ’way down to 
the breaking point, it’s a calf. But Joey has 
stuck to his end of the bargain straight as a 
string, an’ he’s got the best lookin’ yearlin’ I’ve 
seen since Abel Harkins heat us all out at the 
Topsham fair.” 

Then Deacon Crawford seated himself on the 
broad stone doorstep, under the shade of the 
maple tree, that he might rest from the fatigue of 
the August day. The deacon had much for which 
to he thankful, although he ever kept in mind 
the old proverb that “ Heaven helps those who 
help themselves ; ” he owned one of the best 
farms in the county, and people declared that he 
had been “ monstrous lucky, for it was worn out 
when he took it.” The deacon and his wife be- 
lieved in hard work rather than luck, and by 
dint of much labor had made of Hillside farm a 
property in which one might well take pride. 

Joey, the elder of the two children, was thirteen 
years of age that very August, and the calf of 
which the deacon had spoken in praise, was his 
birthday present twelve months before. As his 
father had dealt by the “ worn-out farm,” so 
Joey had dealt by the first animal he ever owned, 
and even as the deacon was speaking, he stood in 


THE SCHEME. 


3 


one corner of the south pasture, grooming his 
pet whose red coat shone like silk under the rays 
of the setting sun. 

Sadie, Joey’s sister, who was nearly two years 
younger than her brother, had been learning to 
44 turn the heel” of a stocking, during the leisure 
time after supper, and, as a matter of course, 
heard all that her father and mother had to say 
about the calf. 

It seemed useless to sit there with the knitting 
in her hands while her mother was taking care 
of the milk, for she knew by past experience 
that a full half-hour would he required for the 
task, and, slipping softly down from her chair, 
she laid the yarn and needles on the shelf which 
had been put up especially for her belongings. 
Then she went out of the wide door, stopping an 
instant to pat her father’s brown cheek and hear 
him call her his 44 blessing,” after which her 
little pug nose was turned in the direction of the 
south pasture, she knowing full well Joey would 
be there petting the calf. 

“What do you think?” she cried, breathless 
from having run so fast. 44 Father says you’ve 
got the best calf he’s seen for many a day ! ” 

44 An’ that’s only the truth,” Joey cried as he 
pressed his cheek against the animal’s damp nose. 


4 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ She’s not only the best, but the handsomest that 
can be found in this town ! ” 

“ That’s what father said, or, if he didn’t use 
the very words, it meant the same thing. He 
told mother she was the best looking yearling he 
had seen since Mr. Harkins took so many prizes 
at tlieTopsham fair,” and Sadie leaned over the 
bars to pat Betty’s sleek neck. 

“ Did he really say that, Sarah Crawford ? ” 
Joey cried, showing more excitement than seemed 
warranted by the statement she had made. 

“ Of course he did, else I wouldn’t have come 
out here. I knew you’d be glad to hear what he 
thought about Betty, so ran off while mother was 
straining the milk.” 

Joey stood as if in deep thought for a moment, 
and then cried suddenly, in the tone of one who 
has settled some grave question in his own mind : 

“ Do you know what I’m goin’ to do, Sadie? 
I’ve fixed it with myself to enter Betty for a prize 
at the Topsham fair ! ” 

Betty at the fair ? ” Sadie cried in astonish- 
ment. 

“Why not? If father says she’s the best 
lookin’ yearlin’ he’s seen since Mr. Harkins took 
so many prizes, why shouldn’t she go ? ” 

“I don’t suppose there is any reason, only it 


THE SCHEME. 5 

seems such a great thing to expect of Betty, that 
she should win a prize.” 

“Well, you see, she hasn’t got to take it if she 
can’t ; but I don’t know of any calf around here 
that can beat her.” 

“But at the Topsharn fair they bring cattle 
from all over the county, and most likely there 
are a great many calves that you haven’t seen,” 
Sadie said in a tone which sounded much like one 
of apology for having even hinted that Betty 
might not receive the prize. 

“That’s a fact ; but everybody praises her, an’ 
if she’s handsome to the people ’round here who 
know what good cattle are, then there’s a chance 
other folks might think the same thing,” and 
Joey brushed energetically at the tuft of hair 
between the lumps on Betty’s head where horns 
would soon begin to show themselves. 

Sadie was so nearly overwhelmed with astonish- 
ment at the idea of sending the pet away, with 
the possibility of having her pronounced the best 
in the county by those who are supposed to know 
all the good as well as the bad points of a cow, 
that she really could not discuss the matter, and, 
after brushing imaginary specks of dust here or 
there from Betty’s coat, Joey clambered over the 
bars, as he said : 


6 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ We’ll go straight to father, an’ find out what 
he thinks of sendin’ her to the fair.” 

“Perhaps he’ll be willing to put her with the 
oxen he said he is going to send there,” Sadie 
said half to herself as she walked by the side of 
her brother, finding it difficult to keep pace with 
him because of his eagerness to get his father’s 
opinion of the scheme. 

“ But that’s what I don’t want ! ” Joey cried 
sharply. “ If Betty goes to Topsham, it’ll be all 
by herself, an’ not with any of father’s stock ! ” 

“ Why not ? ” and Sadie looked up in surprise. 

“Folks say that Deacon Crawford always has 
the best stock in Baldwin, an’ they might give 
her the prize only because she belonged to him. 
If Betty is good enough for them to say she’s the 
best, I want her to earn all she gets, an’ not slip 
through with father’s oxen.” 

Then Joey quickened his pace until Sadie was 
really forced to run in order to keep step with 
him, and when the two arrived at the farmhouse 
Deacon Crawford was yet on the stone step resting. 

“Father, would you be willin’ for me to take 
Betty to Topsham fair ? ” Joey asked abruptly, 
and his father said with a smile : 

“Do you know, son, I was thinkin’ this very 
minute that she was good enough to go there ! ” 


THE SCHEME. 7 

“Were you?” Joey cried in delight. “Then 
you’d be willin’ for me to enter her ? ” 

“ Wouldn’t you care to have her go in with 
the oxen ? ” the deacon asked thoughtfully. 

“ I’d rather she went alone, an’ under my name. 
Then if she did take the prize, it wouldn’t be be- 
cause of what you might have there,” Joey said 
decidedly, and Aunt Jane, who had come to the 
door in time to hear the conversation, added ap- 
provingly : 

“He’s right, father. The calf is his, an’ should 
be sent under his name.” 

“ Do you know what it’ll cost, Joey, to get her 
in, figurin’ on everything that’ll be needed ? ” 

“ Do you have to pay for sendin’ things to the 
fair? ” Joey asked in surprise. 

“You must spend some money to make her 
look her best, an’ then there’s the matter of feed. 
I can’t say jest how much it would amount to ; 
but at a rough guess, reckonin’ for three days 
there, it wouldn’t fall short of two dollars.” 

Joey was silent for a moment, as if making 
some mental calculation, and then he said : 

“It’s worth it to let folks see what can be done 
with a calf if you treat her right. I’ll spend that 
much on Betty out of the money I was savin’ for 
our trip to the city ! ” 


8 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ Very well, son, I’ve got nothin’ to say against 
it. You earn every cent of the two dollars a 
month I pay you for workin’ on the farm, an’ if 
you’re willin’ to put it out on the calf, it’s your 
business. I’ll have to be there pretty much all 
the time, if I enter the oxen, an’ had kind’er 
made up my mind that it wouldn’t do any harm 
if I took the whole family all three days, so you 
won’t be bothered ’bout gettin’ there to look after 
her.” 

There is no necessity of saying that Sadie and 
her mother were considerably excited by the pros- 
pect of having so many holidays, for in the years 
that were past Deacon Crawford had seemingly 
believed it' a waste of time to spend more than 
one day at the county fair, and Mrs. Crawford 
was quite as eager as the children to make plans 
for the unusual event, even though it was nearly 
two weeks in the future. 

“ If you learn how to turn a heel, as little girls 
of your age did in my day, an’ take very great 
pains with the knittin’, there’s no reason why you 
shouldn’t put in a pair of stockin’s. It would be 
fine to walk through the big hall an’ see a card 
sayin’, 4 To Sarah Crawford ; best specimen of 
knittin’ by a child eleven years old. First award.’ ” 

“ And do you really think I might do it?” 


THE SCHEME. 


9 


Sadie, asked eagerly, while Joey wondered how it 
was his mother and sister could think of such or- 
dinary things as stockings, when Betty was going 
to Topsham as a probable prize-winner. 

“ There is no reason why you shouldn’t, Sarah,” 
Aunt Jane replied, giving the child her full 
name because she did not approve of contracting 
it to “ Sadie,” although why she did not rule the 
same in regard to Joey, and call him “ Joseph, ” 
no one could say. “ You knit very well now — ” 

“ Father is willing to wear the stockings I 
make,” Sadie interrupted, and the deacon said 
with a laugh, as he pulled the child’s face down 
until it rested against his rough cheek : 

“Indeed I am, sweetheart, an’ right glad to 
get ’em.” 

“I do think, father, that it is wrong to give 
such names to a girl eleven years old,” Aunt Jane 
said, trying in vain to summon a severe expression 
to her placid face. 

‘ ‘ Nonsense, mother, she always has been my 
sweetheart, an’ I hope she’ll never be ashamed to 
hear her father call her so.” 

“Indeed I shan’t,” Sadie whispered, as she 
rubbed her face against the deacon’s rough chin 
until one cheek was flaming red, and then she 
sat up very primly as the sound of wheels in the 


JOEY AT THE FAIR . 


10 

distance told that some one was coming along 
the dusty road which wound like a yellow rib- 
bon to the railroad station, and thence to Tops- 
ham. 

“It’s Jeddiah Wilkins, I reckon,” Deacon 
Crawford said in a low tone. “ He went by an 
hour or more ago, an’ allowed he might stop at 
the post-office.” 

“ Hello, deacon ! ” came a voice from the road 
which, near the gate of the Crawford home, was 
partially hidden by trees. “ I’ve got a letter here 
for you, an’ ’cordin’ to the looks of it I should say 
it was sent by some of your folks in the city. It 
smells a good deal like the hair oil ’Liakum Byard 
is so fond of usin’ 

Deacon Crawford went to the gate, where he 
remained several moments talking with Mr. 
Wilkins, and meanwhile Aunt Jane and the two 
children were literally burning with curiosity to 
know who had sent a letter with such a peculiar 
odor. 

“ It isn’t very often we idle time away as we’ve 
been doin’ this evenin’, an’ it does seem as if your 
father might gossip with the neighbors when we 
ain’t visitin’ with him, so to speak,” Mrs. Craw- 
ford said mildly, and before either of the children 
could reply the deacon came up the walk, holding 


THE SCHEME. H 

very gingerly in the tips of his fingers a letter 
which gave forth the odor of perfume. 

4 ‘It’s from Maryann — or Mariee, as she calls 
herself since John made a lot of money,” Deacon 
Crawford said with a laugh, as he gave the letter 
to his wife and then lifted Sadie to his knee. 
“ Let’s hear what has come over her. It must 
be nigh to three years since she showed any 
signs of rememberin’ that we were alive, an’ then 
pretty much all she wrote was about my foolish- 
ness in takin’ up with such a worn-out farm as 
this. I wonder what she’d think of it now % ” 

“ Jonas Crawford, you ought to be ashamed of 
speakin’ so about your only sister, an’ that right 
before your own children ! ” 

“I have always made it a rule never to say 
anything that my own children can’t hear,” the 
deacon replied cheerily. “When Maryann got 
the idee that her mother’s name wasn’t good 
enough for her, an’ must be changed to Mariee, I 
came to believe she shouldn’t be held up as an 
example to my little sweetheart.” 

“ I do wish you wouldn’t talk that way,” Aunt 
Jane said with a very thin sigh which seemed 
ashamed of itself for having come from such a 
contented-looking face. “ Your sister hasn’t 
written much of a letter ; but just enough to let 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


12 

us know that she an’ her boy Rupert are cornin’ 
down to make us a visit, an’ — an’ — Bless my 
heart ! Let me see. To-day’s Tuesday— Why, 
Jonas Crawford, she’ll be here Thursday mornin,’ 
an’ me with only one day to get ready for her ! ” 

“Now see here, mother,” the deacon said 
soothingly, “there ain’t the least little reason 
why you should get flustered over Maryann’s 
cornin’. I’ve never seen the time since I was 
married, when my home didn’t look fit for the 
King of England to walk into, an’ I’ll venture to 
say John Stockbridge can’t tell the same story, for 
Maryann never was a great hand at sprucin’ up, 
except when company was cornin’, though she may 
have changed her ways the same time she did her 
name, hut I misdoubt it. If she wants to come 
an’ see us, I’ll be glad to have her ; but you shan’t 
fetch an’ carry from now till she gets here, tryin’ 
to find dirt where there hasn’t been any since the 
children were old enough to keep out of the mud.” 

It is doubtful if Aunt Jane heard half the 
deacon said, so intent was she on running over 
in her mind the work which it seemed necessary 
should be done before Mrs. Stockbridge arrived, 
and Joey whispered to Sadie : 

“ Rupert ! I wonder if the boys call him Roop ? ” 

“Why, Joey, they wouldn’t call him that, be- 


THE SCHEME . 13 

cause it sounds too much like the name of the 
sickness that killed off so many of the chickens 
last spring,” Sadie said with a warning shake of 
her head, as she slipped down from her father’s 
arms. 

“ There was a city boy over to Mr. Wilkins’ 
farm last summer, that was worse on the chickens 
than any case of roup you ever heard tell about, 
an’ this one may be as bad,” Joey replied gloomily. 

“ Why, he’s your very own cousin, and how can 
you say such things about him ? ” 

“Well, I wish he wasn’t cornin’, that’s what I 
wish. I’ll need to spend a lot of time on Betty, 
if she’s goin’ to Topsham in two weeks, an’ as 
likely as not he’ll want me to go all over the 
neighborhood with him.” 

“Of course he will, Joseph Crawford, and you 
will be just as polite to him as you know how, 
because he’s your cousin. I’ll see that you have 
time enough to attend to Betty.” 

“How’ll you fix it?” Joey asked, still dis- 
posed to look upon the coming of Master Rupert 
as something unpleasant. 

“I can take him out to walk once in a while, 
or show him the pigeons, and the chickens. How 
do you know but he’ll be glad to help you with 
Betty ? When he sees what a handsome calf she 


14 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


is, he can’t prevent himself from liking her al- 
most as much as we do.” 

This was a view of the case which had not pre- 
sented itself to Joey ; but now that Sadie had 
suggested it, he believed there was no question 
but that Master Rupert would immediately fall in 
love with Betty, for how could he do otherwise ? 

With this matter settled so satisfactorily in 
their own minds, the children turned their atten- 
tion to the conversation of their parents relative 
to that which must be done on the morrow, and 
of a verity Aunt Jane was mapping out an enor- 
mous day’s work. 

“ You’d better kill three or four chickens the 
first thing in the mornin’, father, so that I can 
dress them as soon as breakfast is over. Sadie 
ought to be able to sweep and dust the fore room, 
while I’m settin’ the spare chamber to rights, an’ 
Joey can clean the knives an’ forks ; it hasn’t 
been done properly for more than a week — ” 

“ I was countin’ on takin’ Joey into the west 
field ; that onion bed is almost the same as cry- 
in’ to be ’tended to. It’ll be all right ’bout the 
chickens ; but I’ve laid out quite a heft of work 
for to-morrow, an’ it must be done. If we’re 
goin’ to whiffle away three whole days at the fair, 
it behooves us to be up an’ doin’ till then.” 


THE SCHEME. 


15 


“ But this is your own sister who’s comm’ to 
make us a visit, Jonas Crawford, an’ it’s the first 
time in her life she was ever here, so the farm 
work must be put off till she gets settled down, 
so to speak,” and Aunt Jane’s tone was most 
decided. 

“ Well, well, mother, if you’re so set on it, I 
reckon it’ll have to be as you say, though it does 
seem a pity to be whifflin’ ’round the house when 
there’s so much that’s almost reg’larly achin’ to 
be done.” 

Aunt Jane made no reply ; she was so deeply 
engrossed with her plans as to how a full week’s 
work could be done in one day, that it is doubtful 
if she heard what the deacon said. 

Under ordinary circumstances Joey would have 
been really excited by the prospect of showing 
the farm and all it contained, to a cousin whom 
he had never seen ; but the thought of sending 
Betty to the fair, and the possibility that she 
might bring home as a prize the blue ribbon, was 
so entrancing that he speedily dismissed from his 
mind everything which did not have a direct 
bearing upon the matter. 

Deacon Crawford was speculating upon the 
possibility of hiring at least one more man to 
work on the farm during such time as it might 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


16 

be necessary for him to take some part in enter- 
taining the expected guests, while Sadie was 
wondering if it would be really possible for her 
to knit a pair of stockings sufficiently well to 
warrant their being shown at the fair, and there- 
fore it was that Aunt Jane almost startled her 
family as she said abruptly : 

“ It’s time every one of us was in bed ! If we 
count on settin’ this house to rights in one day, 
we must be stirrin’ early, an’ we’ll need all the 
rest that can be had.” 

“I reckon we’d best scurry off, youngsters, 
seein’s your mother has set her heart on scrubbin’ 
an’ cleanin’ when there’s nothin’ to be done,” the 
deacon said laughingly as he rose to his feet. 
“ It ain’t likely your Aunt Mariee will stay any 
very great while, ’cause it won’t be lively enough 
here to suit her, an’ the visit needn’t make any 
change in our plans for the fair, unless we spend 
too much of our time tryin’ to amuse her.” 

“ I’ll have to look after Betty pretty snug, if 
she’s goin’ to Topsham, so Roop mustn’t think 
I’m bound to tag ’round after him all the time,” 
Joey said half to himself as he followed Sadie in- 
to the house, and his sister, understanding much 
of what was in his mind, stopped to whisper : 

“ Don’t worry, Joey. Betty shan’t be neg- 


THE SCHEME. 


17 


lected, no matter how much company we have, 
for I’ll spend all my spare time helping you make 
her look fine, and if brushing and combing are 
all that’s needed for her to win the blue ribbon, 
you shall bring it home from Topsliam.” 


2 


CHAPTER II. 


A MISHAP. 

The sun had given no hint of rising, next morn- 
ing, when Aunt Jane called the members of the 
household, and there was that in her tones which 
told Joey very plainly it would not be well for 
him to linger in bed even for a moment. 

“ Why, you must have stayed up all night ! ” he 
said as he entered the kitchen to find breakfast 
already on the table, and his mother replied as 
she plunged her hands into a huge pan of flour : 

“ I’m so worried for fear things won’t look just 
as they should, Joey, that I couldn’t sleep after 
midnight. Take right hold an’ eat, son, for I 
want to get the breakfast things cleared away as 
early as I can.” 

“ Ain’t you goin’ to sit down?” Joey asked, 
feeling in a certain sense bewildered by the 
manner in which his mother darted from one 
thing to another, as if trying to crowd the work 
of ten minutes into two. 

18 


A MISHAP. 


19 

“ Your father an’ I had breakfast half an hour 
ago ; he’s out in the barn now, an’ I expect he’ll 
be back before I’m anywhere near ready to take 
care of the milk.” 

“Why didn’t you waken me before?” Joey 
asked reproachfully, as he plunged his head into 
a basin of cool water. “ I don’t like for him to 
do my share of the work, an’ he’ll have to feed 
the stock before he can milk.” 

“You are up early enough, son, an’ perhaps I 
was foolish to rouse your father so soon ; but 
there is so much work to be done, with such a 
little while in which to do it ! ” 

By this time Sadie had made her appearance, 
and from that moment, until very late in the 
evening, the Crawford family were as busy as 
bees, hardly stopping, as the deacon said, “to 
draw a long breath.” 

Then, for a moment before retiring, they 
gathered, as was their custom, on the broad stone 
step, and the deacon said as he looked anxiously 
toward Aunt Jane : 

“You must be all tired out, mother, for I don’t 
believe you’ve sat down once to-day — not even 
when you had your meals.” 

“ I’ve been too busy to think whether I was 
tired or not,” Aunt Jane replied as if her thoughts 


20 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


were elsewhere. “I only wish I knew if every- 
thing was all right.” 

“Well, I can tell you now an’ here that there 
wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen when you began, 
an’ I’m certain there isn’t even the shadow of one 
now. I only wish the onion bed was in as good 
shape as this house is. Have you had a chance to 
see Betty to-day, son ? ” 

“ Indeed I have, for from now on I must look 
after her sharp. If she don’t bring away the 
blue ribbon it’ll be my fault, an’ I won’t take any 
chances on that. I’ve been wonderin’ whether it 
wouldn’t be a good idea to keep her in the barn 
half of every day, so I can give her a little 
grain ? ” 

“It wouldn’t be a bad plan to bring her in 
nights, an’ turn her out about noon,” the deacon 
replied thoughtfully, and then it appeared much 
as if he was ready to give Joey the benefit of his 
experience in fitting cattle for the fair ; but Aunt 
Jane put an end to anything of the kind, by in- 
sisting that the family retire without further loss 
of time. 

Quite by accident, when he read the evening 
lesson, the deacon opened the Bible at that chapter 
in which Isaiah admonishes Hezekiah to set his 
house in order, and Joey was not certain that his 


A MISHAP. 


21 


father did not emphasize the words a trifle more 
than was absolutely necessary, but he had little 
time in which to speculate upon it, for within a 
very few minutes after getting into bed, he began 
to dream of a series of mishaps which prevented 
Betty from winning the blue ribbon to which she 
was clearly entitled. 

It was necessary Aunt Jane call more than 
once next morning, before her family was 
awakened, and, as on the day previous, breakfast 
was eaten by candle-light, a fact that caused 
Deacon Crawford to say with a sly wink at Sadie, 
that it would have saved time had they partaken 
of the meal before going to bed. 

Joey, whose first thought on awakening was of 
Betty, hastened to the pasture at the first leisure 
moment, and brought the possible blue-ribbon 
winner into the stable, where he gave her a bed 
of clean straw, a generous feed of barley, and a 
careful combing from the tip of her brown nose 
to the end of her tail. 

Then he hurried back to the house to dress him- 
self in his best suit of clothes, for, according to 
the program Aunt Jane had mapped out, both he 
and his father were to meet the guests at the 
station. 

Simon, the plow-horse, had already been 


22 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


harnessed into the double-seated wagon, and was 
standing near the kitchen door, nibbling here and 
there at the clover leaves which grew on the bor- 
ders of the flower-beds, while Deacon Crawford 
was struggling with a particularly stiff collar 
which obstinately refused to be buttoned, when a 
drove of pigs came down the road driven by half 
a dozen boys. 

Never since his first birthday, twenty or more 
years before, had Simon been known to show fear 
of anything, and although the pig-drivers made 
noise enough to have frightened five or six ordi- 
nary horses, no member of the Crawford family 
gave any heed to him, for it seemed as improba- 
ble the old fellow would run away as that the 
stone hitching-post could have danced a jig. 

The deacon was still struggling with his collar ; 
Joey was putting an extra polish on the heels of 
his shoes, which had been neglected when he ap- 
plied the first coat of blacking, while Aunt Jane 
and Sadie were in the parlor making certain no 
speck of dust had escaped them, when three or 
four of the pigs rushed into the yard grunting 
and squealing, and ran directly between Simon’s 
legs. 

The old horse pricked up his ears and stepped 
about uneasily ; yet might have remained where 


A MISHAP . . 


23 


he was but for the boys, three or four of whom 
ran into the yard, brandishing long sticks and 
yelling at the full strength of their lungs at the 
frightened pigs. 

Then it was that Simon forgot how old and 
stiff in the joints he was. With a snort of fear he 
turned suddenly around as if to go back to the 
stable, and, as a matter of course, overturning 
the wagon, just as the boys came toward him 
swiftly with their long sticks held high in the air. 
Nothing more was needed to plunge him into a 
panic, and before one could have counted five, he 
was galloping up the road at a pace which he 
probably never equalled even in his coltish days. 

“ Jonas! Jonas Crawford! That horse is 
runnin’ away ! ” Aunt Jane cried from the parlor 
as Simon went past the window, head and tail 
up, the front wheels of the wagon rising and 
falling with every frantic leap. 

“ Let the folks attend to their own horses ; I 
can’t bother with anything till after this collar is 
buttoned. There, I do believe it’s cornin’ all — ” 

“But it’s your horse, Jonas ! It’s old Simon 
that’s runnin’ up the road like all possessed, with 
only part of the wagon!” Aunt Jane cried 
frantically, and the deacon replied in a soothing 
tone : 


24 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ Now, now, mother, don’t fret yourself ’bout 
Simon. He’s out there by the kitchen door nib- 
blin’ grass, an’ you couldn’t coax him to go off 
on his own account. It needs a good stout whip 
to make him move faster’n a walk — ” 

‘‘He has gone up the road!” Aunt Jane 
shrieked as she ran into the bedroom where the 
deacon, haviug succeeded in fastening the collar, 
was looking at it in the glass with great satisfac- 
tion. “ Look out there, an’ you’ll see all that’s 
left of the wagon ! ” 

Aunt Jane drew aside the curtain, which had 
been pulled down that inquisitive flies might be 
discouraged from entering, and as the deacon 
gazed at the wreck which had worked havoc 
among the flower-beds, he exclaimed in surprise 
and bewilderment : 

“Now who’d a’ thought it? I didn’t believe 
anything short of a reg’lar earthquake would ever 
have started that horse ! ” 

“Ain’t you goin’ after him?” Aunt Jane 
asked sharply. “Or do you count on stand- 
in’ here lookin’ into the yard while your only 
sister’s roastin’ nearly to death down at the 
depot ? ” 

“ Well, mother, seein’s how the train ain’t due 
to get in for more’n an hour, I don’t reckon 


A MISHAP. 


25 


Maryann’s doin’ much roastin’ yet awhile. Help 
me get this collar off again, an’ I’ll see where the 
old horse has gone.” 

4 ‘Why don’t you stop to change all your 
clothes ? ” Aunt Jane asked curtly, and but for 
the fact that she was noted for her good temper, 
one might have thought her patience had been 
exhausted. 

“ I couldn’t walk from here to Harkins’s with 
that hot collar huggin’ close around my neck, an’ 
I reckon Simon has done about all the mischief 
he can by this time.” 

Sadie, meanwhile, had run into the shed to 
warn Joey of what had happened, and he dashed 
out of the yard at full speed just as his father 
succeeded in removing the collar which had cost 
him so much labor to put on. 

Aunt Jane, now that Joey had gone in pursuit 
of Simon, gave over trying to quicken the deacon’s 
movements, and went out to repair, so far as 
might be possible in a limited time, the damage 
done to the flower-beds ; but before very much 
could be effected in that direction it was necessary 
the wreck of the wagon be removed, and this her 
husband set about doing as soon as he had taken 
off his “ Sunday clothes.” 

“It looks a good deal as if Simon had been 


26 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


tryin’ to make up for never havin’ been coltish 
before,” he said laughingly as he up-turned the 
remnants of the wagon. “ I reckon Maryann 
won’t get here in quite as much style as I was 
countin’ on swingin’ for her benefit ; Joey an’ I 
will have to hook into the baggage cart, which 
is so old an’ shaky that it ain’t really what you 
might call in good taste.” 

“ You are terribly tryin’ at times, Jonas Craw- 
ford ! ” Aunt Jane exclaimed as she ceased work 
to look up at her husband with as severe an ex- 
pression on her face as the placid features would 
permit. “ How do we know when Joey will get 
back with that provokin’ old Simon, an’ your sister 
waitin’ for you at the depot ? ” 

“It won’t be hard to figger on about when 
Joey’ll turn up, for there he comes down the 
road now, an’ Simon is hangin’ his head as if 
he was too far gone with age to get one foot 
before the other. If I ain’t at the depot when 
Maryann comes in, she’ll have to wait, unless 
some of the neighbors happen along, which ain’t 
likely at this time of the day when the weeds are 
growin’ so fast you can almost see ’em move. 
Well, Joey ? ” the deacon added, raising his voice. 
“ How much did you find ? ” 

“ Pretty near all Simon took away with him,” 


A MISHAP . 27 

Betty’s young master cried cheerily. “ I reckon 
you’ve got the best part of the wagon there.” 

“ There’s a good deal here, son, but I’m doubt- 
ful about there bein’ any best part left. We’ll 
need a new cart if we count on bringin’ home 
Betty’s blue ribbon.” 

“ How can you laugh an’ joke at such a time 
as this, Deacon Crawford ? ” and there was no 
question now but that Aunt Jane spoke sternly. 
“For my part, I feel more like cry in’.” 

“ An’ tears wouldn’t do you a little mite of 
good, mother. Don’t you worry ’bout my haulin’ 
Maryann up from the depot in good season.” 

“ Where did the pigs go ? ” Joey asked. 

“ I haven’t seen any pigs,” the deacon replied 
in mild surprise. “ What have pigs to do with 
Simon’s showin’ himself off in this style ? ” 

“That’s what frightened the horse,” Aunt 
Jane hastened to explain. “Now let Sarah help 
Joey harness Simon into the baggage wagon, if 
that’s the best team you can send for your sister, 
an’ while they’re doin’ it you’d better put on 
your good clothes again.” 

To this the deacon agreed, after giving Joey ex- 
plicit instructions as to the harness he should use 
in the stead of the one which had been broken in 
many places, and Aunt Jane urged the children 


28 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


to perform their task as quickly as possible lest the 
train arrive before the wagon was at the station. 

Joey learned where some of the pigs were, very 
shortly after entering the stable. He had led 
Simon to the door of the harness room just as 
Sadie joined him, and was about to get that 
which was needed, when a great clatter arose 
from the vicinity of Betty’s stall, sounding much 
as if the calf was trying to break loose. 

“Hold Simon!” Joey cried to his sister. 
“Somethin’ is worryin’ Betty, an’ she may spoil 
all her chances of goin’ to the fair if that kind of 
a rumpus lasts very long. ” 

Even as Joey spoke the grunting and squealing 
of pigs could be heard, accompanied by the pound- 
ing of hoofs against the partition, and Joey cried 
excitedly as he ran swiftly : 

“ Some of those pigs have got in there ! Take 
Simon into the stall, else he may run away 
again ! ” 

Sadie did her best to obey the order quickly, 
but before she could persuade Simon to follow 
her, out dashed three pigs, squealing wildly, and 
headed directly for the old horse. 

This was too much for Simon’s nerves, and, 
flinging up his head, he pulled the bridle from 
Sadie’s hands, after which he galloped out of the 


A MISHAP. 29 

stable at even a better pace than when he wrecked 
the wagon. 

‘ ‘ Oh d ear ! Oh dear ! Whatever shall we do ? ” 
Sadie cried in distress. ‘‘He’s gone again, and 
now Aunt Marie will surely come before you can 
get to the depot.” 

“I don’t care if we never get there!” Joey 
cried tearfully. “ Here’s Betty hangin’ by the 
neck to the stanchion, an’ I wouldn’t wonder if 
some of her bones were broken ! Can’t you get 
father to come an’ help me ? ” 

Aunt Jane, working among the flowers to re- 
pair the mischief done when the wagon was over- 
turned, heard the clatter of hoofs as Simon came 
tearing down the lane, gave one terrified glance at 
the horse, and then, gathering up her skirts, ran 
more swiftly than she had done for years, toward 
the open door of the kitchen as she cried angrily : 

“It’s that miserable horse again. He must 
have gone crazy, Jonas Crawford, an’ there you 
stand fiddlin’ with your collar, when for all we 
know, both the children may be killed ! ” 

The deacon saw Simon coming at a furious 
pace from the stable, and Aunt Jane’s words 
aroused him to action on the instant. He leaped 
out of the bedroom window, giving no heed to 
the fact that in so doing he tore down one of the 


BO 


JOEY AT THE FAIR . 


curtains, and succeeded in catching the fright- 
ened horse as his wife started toward the stable, 
calling upon first Sarah and then Joey. 

u I never did beat a dumb brute because he’d 
been scared ; but it would do me a world of good 
to lay the whip on you soundly,” the deacon said 
as he turned the old horse stableward once more, 
and then he heard Sadie cry : 

“ Oh father, the pigs have frightened Betty, 
an Joey wants you to help him, because she’s 
hanging by the neck to the stanchion ! ” 

“ Well I declare, if it don’t seem as if the whole 
farm had gone wild ! ” the deacon muttered to 
himself as he pulled old Simon along without 
succeeding in forcing him to a faster pace than a 
walk. “ Maryann’s cornin’ has upset things 
for a fact, an’ if she stirs up half as much of a 
fuss after she gets here, we’re likely to be dis- 
turbed before her visit comes to an end.” 

Aunt Jane was leading Sadie back to the house 
as if afraid to trust the child out of her sight, 
when she met her husband, and said tartly : 

“ If you try to put on that collar of yours once 
more, Jonas Crawford, there won’t be any use of 
goin’ to the depot, for your sister will have come 
an’ gone. If you can get a horse harnessed, don’t 
run the risk of try in’ to dress up.” 


A MISHAP. 


31 


The deacon made some reply, but not in a tone 
sufficiently loud to admit of his wife’s hearing the 
words, and then, fastening Simon securely to the 
gate-post, he hurried on to Joey’s assistance. 

The boy had succeeded in releasing Betty from 
her uncomfortable position before his father ar- 
rived, and was examining her from head to tail, 
fearing lest she had been seriously injured. 

“ Any harm done, son ? ” 

“I can’t make out that Betty’s hurt much ; but 
she’s been knocked around till her coat is covered 
with dirt,” and Joey began rubbing the calf with 
a bunch of hay. 

“ If that’s the worst we won’t cry very much, 
son,” the deacon said cheerily. “ A curry-comb 
and brush, with plenty of elbow grease, will soon 
put her in as good shape as ever. It looks to me as 
if you’d come pretty near spoilin’ your Sunday 
clothes.” 

“ I tumbled over the pigs when I first came 
in, an’ — ” 

“ Look here, Joey, all of you have been talkin’ 
’bout pigs, an’ I haven’t seen so much as a bristle. 
Where did they come from ? ” 

Joey gave his father all the information he had 
on the subject, concluding by saying : 

“ There must be as many as three runnin’ 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


32 

’round the farm this very minute, an’ if they ain’t 
driven out there’ll be mischief done. Why don’t 
you go to the depot alone, an’ leave me at home 
to look after things ? It would take me as much 
as an hour to fix up in what mother’d think was 
decent shape.” 

“ I’m afraid, Joey, that neither you nor I will 
cut any very fine figger when your aunt gets here, 
no matter how much we scurry around, for it’s 
gettin’ close to time for the train. If your 
mother thinks it will he all right for you to stay at 
home, instead of goin’ to meet your cousin, it’ll be 
a good idee to get rid of those pigs before they 
drive us out of house an’ home. Now help me 
pull the baggage wagon out, an’ I’ll send Simon 
down the road as fast as he ever went before, to 
pay him for bein’ such a fool as to get scared at a 
lot of pigs.” 

“ Even at that you won’t go very fast, unless 
you can manage to scare the old fellow,” Joey 
said laughingly as he pulled the wagon out of the 
shed, and although the two worked as rapidly as 
possible, there remained, when they drove up to 
the kitchen door, hardly more than fifteen minutes 
before the train should arrive. 

“ I’ve got to go as I am, mother, an’ Joey is so 
kind’er draggled that I reckon he’d best stay at 


A MISHAP. 


S3 


home,” the deacon said as Simon came to a full 
stop, much as though he never intended to move 
again. 

“Mercy sakes, Jonas Crawford, what will peo- 
ple say if they see you lookin’ like that ? ” Aunt 
Jane cried ruefully. 

“I can’t tell you exactly what they will say, 
mother ; but I know that if I try to get into my 
best clothes again, an’ especially that collar, there’ll 
be good reason for Maryann to be a little nervous 
before I get there.” 

“ Did you know you pulled down the bedroom 
curtain when you jumped out of the window % ” 

“You ought’er be thankful I didn’t pull down 
more’n that, mother, for I was just a shade ex- 
cited ; but what about leavin’ Joey at home ?” 

“ He can’t go where he’ll see people until he has 
changed his clothes, an’ that’s the truth,” Aunt 
Jane said decidedly, whereupon the deacon began 
trying to start Simon, as he said with a laugh : 

“ If that’s the case, I’ll be movin’. We haven’t 
got more’n fifteen minutes, an’ it’s a strong mile 
from here to the depot.” 

Simon finally consented to move, and Sadie 
asked as Joey began to wash his face and hands : 

“ Is Betty hurt any ? ” 

“I can’t see that she is; but she looks as if 
3 


34 : 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


there’d never been a curry-comb or a brush on this 
farm. The worst of it is that the pigs are around 
here somewhere, an’ I’ve got to find ’em before 
father gets back.” 

“But mother will expect you to dress up before 
Aunt Marie comes.” 

“ It seems to me that mother has seen enough 
of what those pigs can do, to be willin’ I’d look 
any way, rather than have ’em raisin’ more mis- 
chief ; but if she says the word, of course I’ll let 
everything go except Betty. She must be kept 
away from trouble, no matter what kind of a 
muss my clothes are in when Aunt Marie an’ 
Roop get here.” 


CHAPTER III. 


THE ARRIVAL. 

Aunt Jane was sorely perplexed when Joey 
stood before her asking if he should leave the 
farm to the mercy of the pigs, in order to ap- 
pear at his best so far as cleanliness and cloth- 
ing went. 

“ Of course your father expects you to prevent 
the pigs from doing any more mischief ; but I’d 
be ashamed of my life to have you lookin’ so dirty 
an’ disreputable when your aunt an’ cousin gets 
here,” and Aunt Jane gazed dreamily out of the 
window as if thinking she might see among the 
hollyhocks some solution to the problem. “Do 
you know where they are ? ” 

“Down to the depot by this time, I reckon.” 

“ Then you’ve already driven ’em away ? ” 

“Who are you talkin’ about, mother?” Joey 
asked in perplexity. 

“ Why the pigs, of course.” 

“ Oh, they are somewhere ’round the stable, I 
s’pose, unless they ran out into the road after 


36 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


scarin’ Simon the second time,” Joey replied 
quickly, eager to take such steps as might be 
necessary to protect Betty from the stray ani- 
mals. 

“ Sarah an’ I’ll keep a sharp look-out for them 
till your father gets back, an’ then he may say 
what shall be done. Clean your clothes as well 
as you can, an’ make haste, for your aunt should 
be here in half an hour.” 

“But, mother, I must look after Betty first. 
Because of helpin’ father harness Simon, I didn’t 
have time to make certain the pigs weren’t hidin’ 
somewhere in the stable.” 

“Shut the calf in where nothin’ can trouble 
her, an’ then attend to yourself,” Aunt Jane said 
hurriedly, for the thought had just come into her 
mind that the custard pies she was intending to 
have for dinner should be put out by the well to 
cool, otherwise they would not be in proper con- 
dition. 

Joey hurried back to the stable, fastened se- 
curely the door leading to that part of the building 
where Betty was quartered, after making certain 
none of the pigs were lurking in the stalls, and 
otherwise did what he could in a very short time 
toward preventing the possibility of further mis- 
chief. 


THE ARRIVAL. 


37 


Then he went hack to the house, observing as 
he passed the kitchen window that his mother 
had placed her custard pies on the bench in the 
well-house. With no slight assistance from Sadie, 
he cleaned his clothing, blackened his boots for 
the third time, and was looking really wholesome 
and cheery when Simon walked leisurely into the 
yard, hauling the baggage wagon in which were 
the guests. 

Joey and Sadie stood on the broad, stone step, 
half concealed by the woodbine which covered 
the kitchen porch, when their father drove up to 
the front door, open on this day for the first time 
since the sewing circle had met at Hillside farm, 
and saw a fashionably dressed lady step gingerly 
down from the baggage wagon with an expres- 
sion of dissatisfaction and impatience on her 
face. 

“I guess she had to wait at the depot, an’ it 
hasn’t made her feel very good,” Joey whispered, 
and Sadie added : 

“ Will you look at the trunks ! She must be 
expecting to stay all the rest of the summer. 
Three big ones ! Why the spare chamber isn’t 
large enough to hold them all ? ” 

“ There’s Roop, an’ jest look at that watch- 
chain ! My, my, but he’s dressed fine,” and in- 


38 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


voluntarily Joey glanced down at his own cloth- 
ing. 

“ Where are the children, mother?” Deacon 
Crawford cried cheerily. “ I reckon Maryann 
will be wantin’ to see them the first thing.” 

Mrs. Stockbridge did not appear eager for any- 
thing just then, except to get out of the sun- 
light ; but Aunt Jane immediately called Joey 
and Sarah, who obeyed the summons shyly, there- 
fore appearing decidedly at a disadvantage. 

“So these are your children, Jonas?” Mrs. 
Stockbridge said, with the curtest of curt glances 
at the two who were standing hand in hand 
near their mother’s side. “Very interesting, no 
doubt ; but I have such a terrible headache from 
sitting so long in the sun at that wretched 
station, that it is almost impossible for me to see 
anything.” 

Then she stepped into the cool-looking parlor, 
and Master Rupert, who had remained in the 
baggage wagon during this short interview, 
clambered out as if, so Joey thought, he wanted 
his cousins to have a good view of himself. 

“You’ll have to take Rupert under your wing, 
Joey,” Deacon Crawford said cheerily as he be- 
gan to pull the trunks from the wagon. “ He 
tells me he was never on a farm before, an’ I 


THE ARRIVAL. 39 

reckon you can show him a good bit that’ll look 
strange.” 

“ Let me help you with the trunks, father,” 
and Joey ran to the rear of the wagon as if glad 
to escape from the scrutiny of his cousin. “ They 
look heavy.” 

“ So they are, son, an’ if I hadn’t had some 
help down at the depot, I ain’t certain as I could 
have got ’em into the wagon. Do you allow we 
two can manage ’em ? ” 

“ I ought to be able to handle one end,” Joey 
said as he looked toward Rupert, fancying that 
young gentleman would offer to do what he 
might ; but the visitor stood on the threshold of 
the door gazing curiously at the relatives whom 
he had never seen before, without seeming to 
think it would be well to aid in the task. 

Sadie did her feeble best to help, and after 
much tugging and pulling, the heavy trunks 
were carried into the spare chamber, Deacon 
Crawford wiping the perspiration from his face 
as he said, when he was out of doors once 
more : 

“I declare, I’d rather work half a day hayin’, 
than handle them ’ere trunks ; it was a job, an’ 
no mistake ! ” 

“ I’ll take care of Simon, father, an’ you can 


40 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


go into the house,” Joey said eagerly as he 
leaped into the wagon, and the deacon cried before 
the old horse could be urged to move : 

‘‘Take Rupert with you ; I reckon he’d like to 
have a squint at Betty.” 

“Who is Betty?” Master Rupert asked of 
Sadie. 

“She’s Joey’s calf; he’s going to send her to 
the Topsham fair, and she is a beauty. Don’t you 
want to see her ? ” 

“ I’ve had riding enough in that cart to satisfy 
me for one day, and I think I will go into the house. 
Your brother can drive her down here for me to 
look at, after we’ve had lunch.” 

“Go on, Joey!” Deacon Crawford said so 
sharply that his son looked at him in surprise, 
and just then Simon decided he would move 
stableward, therefore there was no further op- 
portunity for conversation. 

Joey not only cared for Simon, but he paid a 
visit to Betty, and was standing in the stall with 
the calf when Sadie entered the stable. 

“ Mother told me to come out and see where 
you were,” she said. “What are you doing 
here ? ” 

“Just watchin’ Betty, that’s all.” 

“ But why don’t you come back to the house ? 


THE ARRIVAL. 41 

Rupert is your company, you know, and mother 
expects you’ll be sociable with him.” 

‘ 4 If he don’t want to see me any more’n I do 
him, it’ll be a favor for me to stay where I am. 
Say, do you s’pose he thinks I’m goin’ to drive the 
stock on this farm ’round to the front door for him 
to look at ? ” 

“ Now, Joey, you mustn’t be angry because he 
didn’t want to come out here to see Betty. I 
suppose he’s tired, after having been in the cars 
so long on a hot day, and, besides, he never was 
on a farm before, so doesn't understand that we 
can’t take cattle into the front yard.” 

“ Look here, Sarah Crawford, I want to know 
if you think that fellow is somethin’ so awful 
nice? ” and Joey spoke sharply. 

“But you know he is our cousin, Joey,” 
Sadie replied as if at a loss for words. “We 
must be sociable with him, else he’ll get lone- 
some. Suppose we were at his home — we’d ex- 
pect him to do what he could to give us a good 
time.” 

Joey had not looked at the matter in exactly 
that light before, and now he felt considerably 
ashamed of himself, therefore seemed to believe 
an excuse was necessary. 

“ I’m willin’ to give him jest as good a time as 


42 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


I know how, an’ would be whether he was my 
cousin or not ; but what makes him act as if we 
wasn’t fine enough to be ’round where he is ? ” 

“ Now, Joey Crawford, you’ve got no right to say 
anything like that ! You haven’t much more than 
looked at him, and can’t really say how he acts. ” 
“It wouldn’t have hurt him a little bit if he’d 
given father an’ me a lift with his mother’s 
trunks,” Joey said as a parting shot, and added 
as he closed Betty’s stall in such a manner that 
there would be no danger any stray pigs could 
get in, “ I’ll go back to the house, of course, an’ 
I’ll do what I can to give him a good time ; but 
if he wants to stay in the parlor all the time I 
shan’t get much chance to show him ’round.” 

To this Sadie made no reply, and in silence the 
two walked down the lane until they were where 
it was possible to see the stone step leading to the 
kitchen. 

“ It don’t look as if father was doin’ very much 
towards bein’ sociable,” Joey said, “else he 
wouldn’t be sittin’ out there.” 

“I guess he’s only gettin’ rested after carryin’ 
the trunks up-stairs,” Sadie replied, and then, 
nestling down by her father’s knee, she asked in 
a whisper, “ Why don’t you stay in the parlor 
with the company ? ” 


THE ARRIVAL. 


43 


“ Maryann an’ her boy Rupert have gone up- 
stairs to lay down a spell,” the deacon said with 
a curious twinkle in his eyes. “ They had to wait 
down at the depot most ten minutes for me, 
an’ it has tired ’em dreadfully. Your mother is 
gettin’ dinner, an’ I’m tryin’ to figger out whether 
I’ll hang ’round the house dressed up ’cause your 
aunt is here, or get into my other clothes an’ 
tackle them onions.” 

“What does mother want you to do?” Sadie 
asked in a whisper. 

“She’s got the' idee that I ought’er set ’round 
like a graven image, lookin’ jest as I feel with 
this ’ere stiff collar on — terribly uncomfortable.” 

Sadie wisely concluded that she would not give 
an opinion on the subject, and hurried in to help 
her mother, while Joey sat down by the side of his 
father. 

“Well, son ?” the deacon said inquiringly. 

“ I don’t know where the pigs are that scared 
Betty, an’ mother didn’t want me to hunt for ’em 
while you were at the depot, for fear I wouldn’t 
have time to fix myself up in style.” 

“ It does seem as if both of us were dressed a 
leetle too much for farmers, now don’t it ? ” and 
again the odd twinkle came into the deacon’s eyes. 
“What’s your idee we ought’ er do? ” 


44 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ Find the pigs, or make certain they ain’t on 
the farm, an’ then weed the onions,” Joey replied 
promptly. 

“ It wouldn’t do for both of us to go off an’ 
leave the city folks. Of course you must do what 
you can for Rupert, so after dinner I’ll hunt pigs, 
an’ you stay ’round the house lookin’ the best you 
know how.” 

“ Sadie can do that, an’ I’ll help you, for — ” 

Joey did not finish the remark, for at that mo- 
ment loud screams were heard from the rear of 
the house, and as the deacon and his son sprang 
to their feet it was possible to distinguish the 
words : 

“ The miserable pigs ! Is this farm to be ruined 
by such brutes ? Now what shall I do ? What 
shall Ido?” 

It was Aunt Jane who had spoken, and the 
deacon cried as he ran swiftly in the direction 
from which the voice had come : 

“ What is the matter, mother ? You seem to 
be terribly distressed.” 

4 ‘ Distressed ? ” Aunt Jane repeated as the 
deacon and Joey came in view of the well-house. 
“Of course I’m distressed, an’ who could help it 
with a lot of pigs runnin’ ’round loose seekin’ 
what they may devour ? ” 


THE ARRIVAL. 


45 


(i But what have they done, mother ? ” the dea- 
con asked in perplexity, and his wife replied in a 
tone of despair : 

“ What haven’t they done this day ? Now 
they’ve gone an’ eaten the custards I set out here 
to cool, an’ your sister will think I’m a terribly 
shiftless housekeeper not to have pie for dinner. 
Either those pigs have got to leave this farm, or 
I shall ! ” 

“ I wanted to hunt ’em out ; but you thought I 
ought’er keep dressed up,” Joey said quickly, be- 
lieving that now was come the time when he 
might escape from the task of entertaining the 
cousin who seemingly did not care to be enter- 
tained. “It won’t take me a great while to get 
rid of ’em, if you say the word.” 

“ Well I do say it ! ” his mother cried emphat- 
ically. “ It’s no use for me to make any attempt 
at gettin’ along if those wretched creatures are 
allowed to prowl around the farm.” 

Joey had never moved more quickly than now, 
when he had his mother’s permission to take off 
the garments which, because of their glaring 
newness and “Sunday ” appearance, caused him 
to feel uncomfortable. 

Aunt Jane had not ceased to mourn loudly over 
the loss of the pies, when Joey came out of the 


46 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


house looking quite like his old self, and feeling 
as if he really belonged on the farm once more. 

“ If you find ’em, son, put the pesky things in 
the south pasture, for the drovers will soon be 
back lookin’ after their property, an’ it would be 
heathen-like for us to turn the pigs loose so’s to 
give the men a long hunt,” Deacon Crawford 
said, and his wife added : 

u Tlie least you can ask is that whoever owns 
the brutes will pay for the damage they’ve done 
on this farm ! ” 

“ Now, now, mother, it’s provokin’, I know ; 
but we won’t show ourselves so close-fisted as to 
ask pay for three pies, although I ain’t sayin’ but 
it cost you considerable work to make ’em.” 

“What about the double-seated wagon that 
was broken to pieces through them ? ” Aunt Jane 
asked, now beginning to lose her temper. 

“ It was so old that any kind of a hard knock 
would have tumbled it to pieces, an’ I couldn’t 
truthfully say it’s much worse now than when we 
hauled it out of the shed. That was the first 
wagon I ever owned, an’ it had been used five 
years before I bought it.” 

Joey did not wait to hear the remainder of the 
conversation ; but ran off at full speed as if fear- 
ing his mother might change her mind about let- 



JOEY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF TWO AS THEY RAN UNDER THE BUILDING 
























THE ARRIVAL. 47 

ting him wear his old clothes on this first day of 
his .aunt’s arrival. 

If he had believed it would be a simple matter 
to find the pigs, he soon learned that he had been 
mistaken, for, hunt as he might in the vicinity 
of the house, he could not even see the tail of one, 
and it was not until the tool-shed had been visited 
that the mischief-makers showed themselves. 

Then Joey caught a glimpse of two as they ran 
under the building, and the prospect of soon 
ridding the farm of their presence was not prom- 
ising. It was impossible to crawl very far 
underneath the flooring ; but, lying flat on his 
stomach, with head and shoulders hidden by the 
timbers, he poked at them with a long stick as he 
yelled savagely. The pigs paid no other attention 
to his efforts than to retreat yet further into their 
snug refuge, and the boy, perspiring profusely, 
his eyes and throat filled with dust, was rapidly 
losing his patience when he heard a languid voice 
ask : 

“Have you any idea what you are trying to 
do, Cousin Joseph ? ” 

“It’s that Roop !” Joey whispered to himself, 
and he felt obliged to count twenty before speak- 
ing, lest he make an angry reply. Then he said 
as mildly as was possible under the circumstances : 


48 


JOEY AT THE FAIR . 


“I know what I want to do ; but ain’t very 
certain how it should be done.” 

Then Joey poked at the pigs yet more vigor- 
ously, but without other effect than to stir up the 
dust until he was nearly choked. 

“ Why don’t you keep your pigs where it won’t 
be such hard work to get at them ? I thought 
farmers always had a pen for those kind of 
animals.” 

“I wish I had that Roop under here two or 
three minutes ; he wouldn’t try to be so funny,” 
Joey said to himself, and then replied to his 
cousin: “ These things don’t belong to father ; 
they’re part of a drove that ran in here just be- 
fore you came, an’ I’m tryin’ to get ’em off the 
farm.” 

“ Why don’t you let the people who own them 
attend to that work ? ” Rupert asked in a tone of 
innocence; but Joey felt firmly convinced that 
the “ city boy” was making sport of him. “I 
wouldn’t crawl into a small place like that 
on such a hot day, hunting for other men’s 
property.” 

“ Perhaps you wouldn’t, because you don’t 
have to ; but I’m here to do such jobs.” 

Then it was that Sadie came up, and, not un- 
derstanding exactly the situation of affairs, asked: 


THE ARRIVAL. 


49 


“ Are the pigs under there, Joey ? ” 

“S’posen they wasn’t, do you think I’d be 
foolin’ ’round here ? ” and even a stranger might 
have understood that Joey’s stock of patience 
was well-nigh exhausted. 

“ Why not let them stay until the people come 
for them ? ” Sadie continued. “ It would be easier 
to fasten them under there, than try to drive 
such obstinate things out.” 

Joey understood at once that his sister had 
suggested the most simple way out of the diffi- 
culty, and immediately all traces of vexation left 
him, as he said cheerily : 

“ I declare for it, Sadie, if you haven’t got a lot 
more common sense than I ever dreamed of ! It 
won’t be a great job to fix things so those pigs will 
have to stay here till they’re sorry for ever havin’ 
come in to such a place ! ” 

Then Joey attempted to back out from 
his uncomfortable position, and to his dismay 
found that it was impossible. He had burrowed 
beneath the timbers only after great effort, and 
now, work as he might, was unable to extricate 
himself. 

If he and Sadie had been alone, he would have 
thought it a great joke, and called upon her to 
pull him out ; but with Rupert standing there, 
4 


50 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


ready to make sport, as Joey believed, it was 
most humiliating. 

“Come out,” Sadie said after waiting a mo- 
ment, without understanding that her brother 
was doing his best to free himself. “Dinner 
will be ready very soon, and you’ll need to be 
cleaned up a good bit before you’ll look decent to 
come to the table.” 

“It must be hot under there, Joseph,” Rupert 
said, apparently with kindly intent ; but Joey 
was positive his cousin spoke jeeringly. 

Then it was that the deacon’s voice could be 
heard, as he called cheerily : 

“ Come to dinner, children ; we’re waitin’ for 
you. Never mind the pigs, Joey, I’ll lend you a 
hand at routin’ ’em out after we’ve had somethin’ 
to eat ! ” 

“Why don’t you come, Joey?” Sadie asked 
anxiously. “ Mother will scold if we keep her 
waiting.” 

Joey wriggled frantically ; but it was as if the 
harder he struggled the more firmly was he held 
by the timbers, yet he remained silent until his 
father called the second time, when Sadie re- 
plied : 

“ We’re coming as soon as Joey gets out from 
under the tool-shed.” 


THE ARRIVAL. 51 

“ What’s he doin’ there?” Deacon Crawford 
asked curiously. 

“ He’s looking for the pigs.” 

“Tell him to let ’em go for a while ; your 
mother won’t put any more pies in the well- 
house, an’ if Betty is shut in the stable, they 
can’t do any great harm.” 

Joey understood that it was no longer possible 
to keep his cousin in ignorance of the situation, 
and he said in a low tone, having no little diffi- 
culty in speaking because of the dust in his 
throat : 

“ I’m stuck fast here, Sarah Crawford, an’ 
that’s all there is to it. You’ll have to ask father 
to come an’ pull me out ! ” 

Rupert appeared to think this a great joke, for 
he laughed heartily as he ran toward the house, 
and Joey dug his fingers into the dirt to prevent 
angry words from escaping his lips. 


CHAPTER IV. 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 

The possibility that Joey might be in serious 
trouble frightened Sadie, and she ran at full speed 
toward the house, calling for her father at the 
full strength of her lungs, therefore the dea- 
con and his wife, as well as their guest, were thor- 
oughly alarmed before being able to understand 
the situation of affairs. 

“ Joey got part way under the tool-shed, and 
says he can’t get back ! ” Sadie cried as she came 
within view of the kitchen window, and Aunt 
Jane, w r ho had been waiting impatientty for the 
children to obey the summons to dinner, said 
sharply, without realizing the full meaning of the 
child’s words : 

“ Tell him to come straight in to dinner. 
We’ve had trouble enough this forenoon without 
his makin’ more by hangin’ back till everything 
gets cold, an’ he knows as well as I do, that your 
father is so set he won’t ask the blessin’ till every 

last one of you is at the table.” 

52 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


53 


“ But he’s stuck under the tool-shed, and wants 
father to pull him out,” Sadie said tearfully, and 
then it was that the deacon understood what had 
happened ; but it seemed to him so comical that 
he was forced to indulge in noisy mirth before it 
was possible to go to the assistance of his son. 

Rupert seemed to enjoy the situation even more 
than the deacon, and, much to Sadie’s annoyance, 
he described with a reckless disregard of the truth, 
Joey’s efforts to release himself from imprison- 
ment. 

The only thing which Aunt Jane thoroughly 
understood in regard to the whole matter was 
that dinner was already on the table, and it seemed 
to her in the highest degree necessary the food be 
eaten at once lest its delicacy be impaired, there- 
fore she insisted that the deacon make all haste 
to release Joey. 

In order to prevent Rupert from being a witness 
of the scene when Joey was dragged out by the 
heels, Sadie proposed that he go with her to see 
the wreck of the wagon ; but the city cousin plainly 
declared he would rather lose his dinner than 
miss seeing his uncle release the prisoner. 

“ It’ll be the only fun I’ve had since we came to 
this stupid place,” he said with more of anima- 
tion than he had shown since his arrival, and as 


54 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


he ran away his mother explained that “ dear 
little Rupert was terribly disappointed because 
his father would not listen to their going to 
the sea-shore where he could meet his city 
friends.” 

“ What seems to be the matter, son ? ” Deacon 
Crawford asked in a voice half-stifled by mirth, 
as he approached the tool-shed, and Joey said 
curtly : 

“I should think you might see that I’m stuck 
here ! ” 

“ It does look a leetle that way, son. Did you 
find the pigs ? ” 

“ They’re under here too, an’ I only wish I could 
get one good whack at ’em ! Did you come alone, 
father ? ” 

“ Your cousin Rupert is here,” the deacon re- 
plied in a mirthful tone, and he laughed outright 
when what sounded like a moan came from be- 
neath the building. 

“ I said I’d rather go without dinner, than miss 
the chance of seeing Uncle Jonas pull you out,” 
Rupert cried, and the words were hardly more 
than spoken when the deacon had extricated his 
son from the uncomfortable position. 

“ Well, you’ve seen the whole thing, an’ now 
there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go back with 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 55 

father,” Joey said sharply, as he turned in the 
direction of the stable. 

4 4 Where are you goin’ now, son? Your 
mother’s waitin’ dinner for you,” the deacon said 
as if in surprise. 

4 4 Tell her I won’t come into the house for quite 
a spell ; I’ve got some work to do now.” 

The deacon seemed to understand that his son 
did not care to show himself until after having 
made some change in his personal appearance, and 
turned toward the house, literally forcing Rupert 
to follow him, as he took the lad playfully by the 
arm, and said cheerily : 

44 There’s a good deal about farm work that you 
haven’t got the hang of yet ; but Joey was brought 
up to it, so I allow he knows pretty near as much 
as I do.” 

44 1 guess if he hadn’t got stuck under that 
shed, the work could have waited till he had his 
dinner,” Rupert said shrewdly, and he made no 
further effort to see his cousin. 

Nearly an hour later Sadie opened the door of 
the stable, as she whispered hoarsely : 

44 Where are you, Joey ? I’m all alone ; Rupert 
has gone up stairs to lie down again, and father’s 
in the parlor with Aunt Marie.” 

Certain faint sounds told that some one was un- 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


56 ' 

bolting the door leading to that portion of the 
stable where was Betty’s stall, and then Sadie saw 
Joey’s face as he peered cautiously out. 

“ I’m alone, and you needn’t be afraid of seeing 
any one. Mother has put your dinner in the oven, 
and she wants you to come and get it. What 
have you been doing ? ” 

“Just fussin’ ’round with Betty. She needs 
water, but I didn’t lead her out for fear that 
Boop, who thinks he’s so funny, might have 
somethin’ to say.” 

“ I’ll get the water while you’re washing your 
face and hands. Wait in the kitchen till I come 
there,” and Sadie took up the bucket which stood 
near at hand, running swiftly down to the well- 
house. 

Not until he had carefully reconnoitred the 
premises, did Joey venture out, and then he 
made a long detour in order to gain the kitchen 
without exposing himself to the view of any one 
in the front portion of the house. 

“ There’s no reason for you to be ashamed of 
gettin’ caught underneath the tool-shed, Joey,” 
his mother said as he entered, and while she was 
placing on the table his share of the dinner. “ It 
was an accident that might have happened to any 
one.” 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


57 


“I wouldn’t have cared if that Roop hadn’t 
thought it was so awfully funny, an’ tried to make 
game of me. I wonder how long he’s goin’ to 
stay \ ” 

“ Your aunt told me that they didn’t count on 
stoppin’ more’n three weeks, an’ even if he don’t 
seem very agreeable, you ought to be able to put 
up with him that length of time, for he’s your 
father’s only sister’s only boy,” Aunt Jane said 
soothingly, for now that the responsibility of 
serving dinner had been taken from her, she was 
full of sympathy for Joey. 

“ If all city fellows act so foolish, I don’t want 
to see many of ’em ’round here. What makes 
him go to bed so often ? ” 

“ Your Aunt Marie thinks boys of his age need 
a great deal of rest, an’ I s’pose she’s got him in 
the habit, though I must say I think it’s a ter- 
ribly shiftless way of spendin’ the time. Where 
are the pigs ? ” 

“ Under the tool-shed, an’ I reckon we’d better 
fasten ’em in there till their owners come. I’ll 
see to it as soon as I’ve finished my share of this 
chicken,” Joey said, speaking indistinctly 
owing to the fullness of his mouth. “ You’re a 
great cook, mother ; father says your equal ain’t 
to be found in this county, an’ when we have 


58 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


company to dinner I always count on eatin’ a 
good deal.” 

Aunt Jane actually blushed under such praise ; 
but before she could reply Sadie caine into the 
kitchen, as she said : 

“ I watered Betty, and fastened the door so 
that she won’t be disturbed in case those pigs 
start out on more mischief. Now, Joey, mother 
and I both think you ought to show Rupert over 
the farm ; he may be a real nice kind of a boy 
after you get acquainted with him.” 

“ Yes, son,” Aunt Jane added, “it won’t do to 
let him see that you feel badly over bein’ caught 
under the tool-shed, else he’ll have good reason 
for makin’ fun.” 

Because of such advice, and very much more 
which was given before Joey had finished dinner, 
Rupert received quite a surprise when he lounged 
languidly into the kitchen while his cousin was 
yet at the table. 

“ Did your father pull you out ? ” he asked, 
thinking, perhaps, that Joey would show signs of 
being vexed ; but the country boy replied with a 
laugh : 

“Indeed he did ; but I got two or three good 
bumps on my head before the job was finished.” 

Rupert was evidently disappointed, and instead 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


59 


of continuing the conversation, he wiped carefully 
with his handkerchief one end of the broad stone 
step, and seated himself gingerly, as if afraid of 
disarranging his clothing. 

“ Wouldn’t you like to see the farm?” Joey 
asked after he and Sadie had exchanged glances 
of mirth, provoked by Rupert’s excessive care of 
his garments. 

‘ ‘ I don’t want to walk around in the hot sun, 
if that’s what you mean,” the lad replied curtly. 
“ When it is cooler I may look through the stables. 
Say, haven’t you got any better horses than the 
one your father drove up from the station ? ” 

“That was old Simon,” Joey said good naturedly, 
for he had just promised himself that he would 
not allow his cousin to vex him again by seeming 
to cast discredit on Hillside farm. “ We use him 
for plowin’, mostly ; but I guess he’s about as 
good as we’ve got. Father don’t go in for raisin’ 
fancy horses ; but his cattle can’t be beaten in 
this county.” 

“ How many have you got ? ” 

“ Thirty-one head, countin’ in my Betty.” 

‘ ‘ That’s the one you are going to send to the 
fair, I suppose.” 

“ Yes, an’ I’ve just begun to get her in shape, 
for it opens in two weeks.” 


60 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“Then we shall be here.” Rupert replied 
thoughtfully. 

“An’ you’ll have lots of fun. Father has prom- 
ised that we shall all go while it lasts — three 
whole days, an’ of course he’ll take you an’ Aunt 
Marie.” 

“ I guess one day at a country show will be 
enough for mother and me. We both wanted to 
go to the sea-shore, where the most of our friends 
in the city are ; but father said we must come 
here, and I’m sure I don’t know how we’ll kill 
the time.” 

“ I should think it would be kind of lonesome 
work wishin’ the time away. Out here we have 
so much to do that it don’t seem as if the days 
were half long enough. I must go an’ pen 
the pigs up, so they can’t cut any more capers 
’round here ; don’t you want to come with 
me?” 

“ It’s too warm,” Rupert replied with a yawn. 
“ I may go out to the stable after a while.” 

Joey looked at his mother as if to ask her 
whether he had done his duty as host, and she 
replied by saying as she glanced meaningly at 
Sadie : 

“You mustn’t insist on your cousin’s goin’ with 
you if he wants to stay where it is cool. Sarah 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


61 


will be here, if he changes his mind, so you 
may as well go about your chores the same as 
ever.” 

Nothing could have pleased Joey better than 
this permission, and he lost no further time in 
setting about the task of preventing the pigs from 
doing further mischief. 

Rupert remained silent as Sadie seated herself 
beside him, and when ten minutes or more passed 
without his showing any signs of animation, she 
went into the house to get her knitting, for the 
members of Deacon Crawford’s household were 
not accustomed to remaining idle during their 
waking hours, save for the short time on the 
stone door -step after the work of the day had 
come to an end. 

Sadie was not absent more than five minutes, 
but when she returned Rupert was not to be seen, 
and, concluding he had gone up-stairs for another 
resting-spell, she settled down to her work with 
a sigh of relief because it would not be necessary 
for her to play the part of hostess. 

Out by the tool-house Joey was working in- 
dustriously. He had spent considerable time 
hunting for lumber with which to board up the 
lower portion of the building, and had but just 
begun on the real task when, to his surprise, 


62 


JOEY AT THE FAIR . 


Rupert sauntered up looking exceedingly cool 
and particularly well dressed. 

“ Hello, changed your mind ’bout cornin’ out, 
eh ?” Joey asked cheerily. 

“ I thought it would be as well to go out to the 
stable, and have that over with. Haven’t you 
any better harness than what I saw hanging up 
there ? ” 

“ All father owns is in the room off the mow- 
floor. We put the best set on Simon this mornin’, 
because he broke the common one. Didn’t that 
strike you as bein’ pretty good ? It cost sixteen 
dollars.” 

“Is that all?” Rupert cried as if in surprise. 
“ Why, my father pays as much as a hundred for 
every set he buys, and the ornaments on them are 
solid silver.” 

“Yes, I s’pose you city folks do have some great 
turn-outs ; but they wouldn’t be of much account 
on a farm,” Joey said good-naturedly, as he turned 
his attention once more to the work on hand, and 
Rupert watched him critically for some time. 
Then he asked : 

“Where are all the cattle you said your father 
owned ? ” 

“ The cows are in the pasture, an’ the oxen are 
workin’ over on the other side of the road. We 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 63 

don’t keep cattle in the barn while there’s enough 
for them to eat out of doors.” 

“ That’s what I thought,” and Rupert spoke as 
if there might have been a question in his mind 
regarding such a custom. “When the other 
cattle were let out this mornin’, somebody left a 
cow shut up by herself.” 

“That’s my calf, Betty — the one I’m going to 
take to the fair.” 

“Is that the one ? Why she is nothing but a 
common cow ! ” 

“She ain’t even that yet a while,” Joey cried 
with a laugh ; “ but I believe she’s the best yearlin’ 
to be found in this county, an’ if she isn’t, I shan’t 
bring home the blue ribbon I’m countin’ on.” 

“ If it’s only cheap looking cows like the one I 
saw in the stable, that are shown at country fairs, 
I don’t believe I’d care to waste my time going to 
see them,” and Rupert struck lightly with his 
handkerchief at a speck of dust on his boots. 

“ That’ll be all right,” Joey replied with a 
laugh, for he was beginning to understand that 
it gave his cousin pleasure to have him show signs 
of vexation. ‘ ‘ If you don’t care for cattle or vege- 
tables, a county fair ain’t a very lively place for 
you city boys, unless you like to see horse-racin’. 
Goin’ back to the house ? ” 


64 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“Yes, I’ve seen all of the farm I want to,” 
Rupert said as he went slowly down the lane, and 
then he halted to say, as if it was nothing of 
particular consequence, “ I thought that cow 
ought to be out of doors, if you wanted any milk 
to-night, so I left the stable open.” 

“ Did you let Betty loose ? ” Joey cried ex- 
citedly, as he dropped the hammer and nails. 

“I left it so she could go out, and you had 
better see to it that she isn’t shut up alone there 
again.” 

“And she can get into the road !” Joey cried 
tearfully, as he ran at full speed toward the 
stable. “If that — if he has turned her loose I 
may as well give up all hope of winnin’ the blue 
ribbon, for she’ll race her legs off before I can 
catch her ! ” 

Rupert half-turned to watch his cousin a mo- 
ment, and then resumed his leisurely walk to- 
ward the house, looking particularly well pleased 
with himself. 

“Why, where did you come from?” Sadie 
asked in surprise. “ When I came back with my 
knitting you had disappeared, and I made certain 
you’d gone up-stairs to have another nap.” 

“ I thought I might as well finish up the stable 
this afternoon ; but there wasn't anything worth 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


65 


seeing. I found a cow there alone, and opened 
the door so she could get out ; but your brother 
doesn’t seem to be pleased with what I did.” 

“ You let Betty out of the stable?” Sadie 
cried, the knitting falling from her hands as she 
looked at her cousin in dismay. 

“Yes, and lam certain she needed the fresh 
air, although I suppose you people who have al- 
ways lived here, think it is just as well to keep 
cows in a place like that when the weather is so 
hot,” Rupert said with a yawn, and then he 
lounged leisurely toward the front door. 

Sadie gave no heed to the fact that the needles 
had slipped out of the stitches, but ran swiftly 
through the house to the parlor, where her father 
sat engaged in what was evidently a private con- 
versation with his sister, and, without thought 
of being rude, cried shrilly : 

“ Rupert has turned Betty out, and the gates 
to the road all open ! ” 

Deacon Crawford sprang up from his chair in 
hardly less excitement than that displayed by 
his daughter, as he asked hurriedly : 

“Does Joey know about it ? ” 

“ I didn’t ask Rupert ; but he is somewhere in 
the house, and I’ll find out.” 

“ I’ll harness Simon, or one of the other horses, 
5 


66 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


an’ while I’m doin’ that, find out which way Joey 
has gone ! It won’t do that heifer any good to 
roam ’round till mornin’.” 

As the deacon left the room hurriedly Aunt 
Jane came in, and, of course, insisted on know- 
ing what had happened. Before Sadie could re- 
ply Rupert entered the front door, and said care- 
lessly : 

“ I saw the poor thing there alone, and thought 
it would be a good idea to let her go with the 
other cows, wherever they are.” 

“ But that is the yearlin’ Joey was goin’ to send 
to the fair ! ” Aunt Jane said sharply. 

“ Yes, so he told me ; but it seems foolish to 
expect that such a cheap looking animal will win 
a prize,” and having thus given his opinion, Ru- 
pert went up-stairs, leaving Aunt Jane struggling 
to repress the anger which w T as nearly overpower- 
ing her. 

By this time Sadie began to realize that possi- 
bly she might be of some assistance in catching 
Betty, in case the calf had taken advantage of 
the open door, and she ran into the road. 

Far away in the distance, stationward, she 
could see Joey ; but nothing in the form of a 
cow, and she went to the stable, where her father 
was harnessing Simon. 


RUPERT ASSISTS. 


67 


“I reckon he saw her tracks in the dust,” the 
deacon said when Sadie told him of what she had 
seen. 4 ‘ There’s likely been more than one cow in 
the road since mornin’, an’ I’m thinkin’ you’d 
best go up towards the Harkins’ farm, while I 
overtake Joey, if so be Simon is willin’ to spunk 
up a little.” 

Sadie started off, walking very rapidly, while 
Aunt Jane stood at the gate looking up and down 
the road, as if believing Betty might suddenly 
appear. 

Rupert was most likely resting from the fa- 
tigues of the day, and his mother did not venture 
out into the sunlight. 

Half an hour passed, and Aunt Jane had seen 
nothing of her family or the heifer. Thirty 
minutes more, and then the deacon appeared, 
walking as if weary. 

“ Where is Simon?” Aunt Jane asked tim- 
idly, for since the aged horse had indulged in such 
antics as those displayed during the forenoon, 
her old-time confidence in him was destroyed. 

“ I left him with Joey ; it looks as if Betty had 
taken it into her head to see the country, an’ the 
boy will have a long chase. Where is Sadie ? ” 

“She hasn’t come back yet, an’ I guess she 
must have kept on to the Wilkins’ place, hopin’ 


68 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


the calf may have gone there. Tell me, Jonas,” 
Aunt Jane added in a whisper as she glanced 
over her shoulder to make certain that Mrs. 
Stockbridge was not within hearing, “what have 
you an’ your sister been talkin’ ’bout all the 
afternoon ? ” 

“Well, Jane, it’s a sad story,” and Deacon 
Crawford spoke in a low tone as he also glanced 
toward the house to make sure there were no 
listeners. “John Stockbridge has lost all his 
money, an’ a lee tie more, I reckon. Maryann 
has been tellin’ me about it, an’ although she 
hasn’t come right down to business yet, I’ve got 
sense enough to understand that he’s sent her 
here to see if I can’t help ’em a bit.” 


CHAPTER V. 


A LONG RIDE. 

Within two hours from the time of her setting 
out, Sadie returned unsuccessful. She had walked 
up the road a mile or more beyond the Wilkins 
farm ; but could learn nothing regarding Betty, 
therefore it seemed positive she had gone in the 
direction of Topsham, “ in order to be there when 
the fair opened,” Rupert suggested as a joke, at 
which no one laughed, for the members of the 
family were seriously concerned regarding the pos- 
sible whereabouts of the calf. 

“ Joey has kept her in such good condition that 
she can travel faster an’ farther than Simon, an’ 
I reckon she feels just in the right mood for 
caperin’,” the deacon said in reply to Sadie’s 
question as to whether Betty was likely to stray 
far away. 

“ Of course Joey will come back when he finds 
he can’t catch her before dark,” Aunt Jane said 
as if talking to herself, and the deacon replied 
grimly : 


69 


70 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“If I know the boy, an’ I ought’er be right 
well acquainted with him by this time, he’ll keep 
on till he finds her, without payin’ any at- 
tention to the sun. He’ll get along all right, 
mother, so you needn’t worry if he don’t show 
himself before sunrise to-morrow.’’ 

Then the deacon went about his farm duties, 
after saying a few words privately to his sister, 
and Rupert, who at last was beginning to under- 
stand that he had done serious mischief, remained 
with Sadie as she stood at the gate in the hope 
of seeing Joey return with the frolicsome Betty. 

When supper- time came Joey was yet absent, 
and, later, the deacon deferred reading the even- 
ing lesson a full hour, for never before had the 
boy been away from home when the family were 
gathered for prayers. 

Sadie would have been pleased to continue her 
watch for Joey without regard to the lateness of 
the hour ; but her mother insisted that she go to 
bed shortly after Mrs. Stockbridge and Rupert 
went to their chambers, and there she remained 
awake until what seemed a very long while after 
midnight, when she heard her brother’s voice in 
the yard. 

Creeping softly out of bed to the window, she 
saw that Joey had indeed found Betty, for there 


A LONG RIDE. 


71 


she was, tied to the rear end of the wagon in 
such a manner that, object as she might, there 
was nothing to be done save march homeward at 
such a pace as Simon should set. 

Then Sadie, a great burden removed from her 
mind, went back to bed and straightway fell 
asleep, not to awaken until her mother called 
next morning from the kitchen. 

Joey, in his anxiety regarding Betty, had given 
no heed to his own fatigue, so eager was he to 
learn if the calf had suffered in any way because 
of her long jaunt, had already gone to the stable, 
and from her mother Sadie heard all that could 
be told concerning the search for the runaway. 

Not until he had driven seven miles or more 
did Joey find his pet, and then it was necessary 
to spend considerable time catching her, after 
which he forced Simon, who was by no means 
averse to such a pace, to walk slowly all the way 
home. 

“ Do you suppose she has hurt herself in any 
way ? ” Sadie asked anxiously, and her mother 
replied : 

“ Your father says it isn’t likely. Of course it 
has done her no good to run away ; but she’ll 
be as frisky as ever when she gets over bein’ tired. 
You’re to rid up the dinin’-room while I look after 


72 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


the biscuits, for it won’t do to slight our work on 
account of a calf. I expect your Aunt Marie 
thinks we’re terribly foolish because we got so 
worked up over it.” 

4 ‘ What right had Rupert to turn Betty loose ? ” 
Sadie cried indignantly. ‘ ‘ He must have known 
that she was shut in for some good reason, in- 
stead of having been forgotten, as he claims to 
believe ! ” 

“ There, there, we won’t speak of the matter 
again. It’s over an’ done with, an’ we wouldn’t be 
any better off to think the child deliberately intend- 
ed to do mischief,” and Aunt Jane set about mak- 
ing biscuit with the air of one who is determined 
not to be vexed, however great the provocation. 

When Joey came into the house, shortly before 
breakfast was served, he reported that Betty was 
looking as well as could be expected, and, what 
seemed to give him almost as much pleasure, his 
father had decided that he had better attend 
to his regular work on the farm, leaving to 
Sadie the duty of entertaining Rupert. 

Thus it was that during this day Joey saw his 
cousin only at meal-time. Sadie reported that 
Rupert had remained in his own room, except at 
such rare intervals as he strolled down the road 
to the grove through which ran the brook, and 


A LONG RIDE. 73 

then he had said there was no reason why she 
should go with him. 

The owners of the pigs had come and taken 
them away, to the great relief of Aunt Jane, 
and, save for the fact that Deacon Crawford 
spent the evening in the parlor talking privately 
with Mrs. Stockbridge, matters at Hillside farm 
seemed, on this night, to be very much the same 
as before the visitors arrived. 

During the four days which followed, Joey saw 
very little of his cousin ; but, as a matter of course, 
he learned through Sadie how Rupert had spent 
the time. It really seemed as if the boy had been 
trying to make himself agreeable. 

It was the evening of the fifth day after the ar- 
rival of the guests ; the necessary work of the 
farm had required so much of the deacon’s time 
that he could not spend the customary half-hour 
with his family, but came in from the barn only 
when Aunt Jane and the children were making 
ready to retire. 

“ Did your sister tell you that John Stockbridge 
was cornin’ here to-morrow ? ” Aunt Jane asked. 

“ No ; but I had an idee that it wouldn’t be a 
great while before he felt called on to pay us a 
visit.” 

“ Why ?” 


74 : 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“Well, I told Maryann that in justice to you 
an’ the children I couldn’t lend John the money 
all of us had earned by hard work, an’ it kind’er 
got into my head that one such answer wouldn’t 
do for her. So he’s cornin’ to-morrow, eh ? ” 

“ Of course you’ll go to the depot to meet 
him ? ” 

“ I sure will ; John Stockbridge is a decent kind 
of a man, an’ if his family hadn’t spent quite so 
much, I’m thinkin’ he wouldn’t be runnin’ ’round 
the country tryin’ to scrape up money enough to 
keep him from goin’ to smash. I reckon we’ll 
have quite a bit of business on hand after he gets 
here, an’ it won’t be a bad idee if the children ain’t 
around.” 

4 4 But what can you do with ’em, father ?” and 
Aunt Jane looked more distressed than Sadie had 
ever seen her since the flock of half-grown turkeys 
disappeared so mysteriously. 

“Joey, have you done anything about enterin’ 
Betty for the fair ? ” the deacon asked abruptly. 

“No, sir ; I thought you’d fix that when you 
entered the oxen.” 

“ That’s what I counted on ; but somehow 
there hasn’t been any time. We can’t put it off 
any longer, so you’d better drive down to Topsham 
to-morrow. You’ll have to make arrangements 


A LONG RIDE . 


75 


for sheds in which to show the cattle an’ Betty. 
Take Simon with the baggage wagon ; Sadie will 
be glad to go with you, an’ you may as well give 
Rupert a chance. He has hung ’round the house 
so close since he got here that a change will freshen 
him up, I reckon.” 

As a matter of course, after hearing the con- 
versation between their parents, the children un- 
derstood that the excursion to Topsham had been 
thus suddenly planned in order that they might 
be absent when their Uncle John arrived, although 
it really was necessary to make arrangements for 
exhibiting the cattle ; but they were none the less 
delighted, for it was a rare treat indeed to drive 
to town alone. 

Joey was so excited with the idea of taking the 
first step toward showing Betty at the fair, that 
he was up and dressed next morning before any 
other member of the family had awakened, and 
old Simon must have been surprised at receiving 
such a generous allowance of grain at so early an 
hour. 

When, after breakfast had been served, Rupert 
came into the dining-room, Sadie, already dressed 
in her best frock, eagerly announced the program 
of the day, and much to her surprise the lad gave 
no token of being pleased. 


76 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ What kind of a carriage are you to go in ? ” 
he asked. 

“ Since Simon broke the double-seated wagon, 
there is nothing except the one you came from the 
depot in,” Sadie replied with a merry laugh. 

“ I saw anew one in the carriage shed,” Master 
Rupert said sharply. 

“ That has only a single seat, an’ there will be 
three of us,” Joey replied, as if such fact settled 
the matter beyond controversy. 

“I had rather ride three on a seat, than go in 
that old cart,” and Rupert spoke in a fretful tone. 
“ If you use the carriage, I’ll go with you ; other- 
wise I shall stay here.” 

“ But that is father’s very best wagon,” Joey 
began, and before he could say anything more the 
deacon interrupted him : 

“ I shall use that when I drive to the depot after 
your Uncle John.” 

“ Then I won’t go,” Rupert replied with not a 
little show of temper, and he positively refused to 
listen when his mother tried to explain that it 
would be more pleasant for him to accompany 
his cousins, because his father had come on busi- 
ness which would occupy his time during the day 
to the exclusion of everything else. 

Master Rupert seemed determined to remain at 


A LONG RIDE. 77 

home as he had threatened, and when the meal 
was at an end Deacon Crawford said to Joey : 

“ You’d better harness Simon at once, son, for 
it will be pleasanter ridin’ in the early mornin’. 
Take plenty of time to do all your business, an’ 
don’t forget a feed of corn for the horse.” 

Sadie and her mother had no more than finished 
making ready the luncheon which was to take 
the place of dinner, when Joey and Simon came 
to the door, and, to the surprise of both the chil- 
dren, Eupert made his appearance as if intending 
to accompany them. 

“Hello!” Joey said cheerily. “I thought 
you’d made up your mind to stay at home, an’ so 
didn’t put in another seat.” 

Rupert made no reply ; but clambered into the 
wagon as if under protest, and Joey ran back 
to the shed for a second seat. Sadie got in by 
the side of her cousin ; Aunt Jane put the basket 
containing the eatables where she thought there 
would be the least danger of its being jolted out, 
and the deacon occupied himself with writing a 
list of the errands which Joey was to do in order 
to finish the business of making ready for Betty’s 
entrance to the fair. 

Finally everything was ready for the start, and 
while Joey and Sadie, their faces literally radiant 


78 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


with delight, bade their parents and aunt adieu, 
Rupert turned his head away in sulky silence, 
causing the deacon to whisper to his wife when 
the travelers were lost to view in the distance : 

“ Maryann made the boy go, an’ he’s so peevish 
about it that I’m afraid our chickens won’t enjoy 
themselves as much as they ought’er.” 

“ It’ll take more’n one sulky boy to spoil Sarah’s 
good time, an’ Joey ain’t thinkin’ of anything but 
enterin’ Betty at the fair,” Aunt Jane replied as 
she went to her work in the kitchen. 

Her mother made no mistake when she believed 
there was nothing which could prevent Sadie from 
enjoying herself on that day — certainly nothing in 
the shape of a sulky boy was enough to mar the 
pleasure of that ride in the early morning, when 
the dew had adorned even the blades of grass 
with tremulous diamonds. 

To Joey as well as Sadie, the birds had never 
sung so sweetly, nor was ever the chip-chip-chip 
of the squirrels more friendly, and old Simon was 
allowed to choose his own gait until, when half an 
hour or more had passed, Rupert said fretfully : 

“ It’ll be night before we get there, if you don’t 
make this miserable old horse move faster ! He 
isn’t traveling two miles an hour.” 

“Oh, yes, he is,” Sadie cried merrily. “It’s 


A LONG RIDE. 79 

eight miles to Topsham, and Simon always gets 
there in less than three hours.” 

“ Three hours!” Rupert cried disdainfully. 
“ Why, my father hasn’t got a horse that can’t 
travel that distance in an hour ! ” 

“ But he doesn’t work ’em in a plow,” Joey 
said in a matter-of-fact tone. “If he did, it 
wouldn’t be a great while before they’d move as 
slowly as Simon does.” 

Rupert relapsed into silence once more, much 
to the satisfaction of his companions. Sadie 
clambered over on the front seat that she might 
sit by the side of her brother, and the two saw 
something of interest at every turn of the road. 

Not until they were come within sight of Tops- 
ham did Master Rupert speak again, and then it 
was to ask : 

“ Is there a good hotel in this town ? ” 

“ Folks say it’s very nice ; hut we never were 
inside,” Joey replied. “ Mother has given us the 
biggest kind of a lunch, with a whole custard pie 
in it, an’ I’ve got Simon’s dinner under the seat, 
so there’s no need of our goin’ to the hotel.” 

“ That is where I am intending to stop. I didn’t 
want to come in this old wagon, with a horse 
that isn’t much more than a scare-crow ; but 
mother said if I would, she’d let me go to the 


80 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


hotel and stay there while you were running 
around in the dust.” 

‘‘But it’ll cost as much as two dollars to stay 
in the hotel ! ” Joey cried as if in alarm, and 
Rupert replied loftily : 

“I wouldn’t care if it cost twice as much. 
Mother gave me five dollars to spend, and if there 
is anything decent to be had in this place, I’m 
going to have it.” 

“ Five dollars! ” Joey cried with a little gasp, 
much as if he had suddenly been plunged into 
cold water. “You surely wouldn’t spend all that 
in one day, Rupert ? ” 

“Wouldn’t I? Well, you ought to see what 
I’d done if we had gone to the sea-shore, where a 
fellow can have something like a good time.” 

“ Then I don’t wonder your father wants to — ” 

Sadie suddenly pressed her hand over Joey’s 
mouth, believing she knew what he was on 
the point of saying, and the boy was thus re- 
minded that he had no right to speak of what he 
had heard his parents talking about. 

“What is it you don’t wonder at?” Rupert 
asked curiously ; but Joey shut his lips tightly, 
as if afraid the words might escape despite his 
will. 

Rupert repeated his question two or three times, 


A LONG RIDE. 


81 


and finally Joey put an end to it as he said, point- 
ing with the whip to a building a short distance in 
advance : 

“ There’s the hotel, an’ perhaps you’d rather 
not let folks see you drive up in this old wagon. 
We’ve got to turn down here to come at a place 
near the market where father always leaves 
Simon ; but I’ll carry you straight to the door if 
you say the word.” 

“I’ll get out here,” Rupert said quickly, as he 
clambered down awkwardly because of his efforts 
to prevent his garments from being soiled by 
dust on the wheels, and Joey cried cheerily, while 
coaxing Simon to move on once more : 

“We’ll have all our errands done by two 
o’clock, an’ then drive ’round this way. You can 
keep w^atch so’s there won’t be any need of our 
goin’ to the hotel.” 

Rupert marched off without making any re- 
ply, and Sadie said with a sigh of relief as the 
old horse consented to amble down toward the 
market : 

“ Now we can have just as good a time as we 
please ! Wouldn’t it be terrible to have our 
cousin out at Hillside farm all the year round ?” 

“If he lived there all the time, an’ had to do 

his share of the work, perhaps he’d get a little 
6 


82 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


sense into his head. Mother says we mustn’t 
talk harsh ’bout father’s only sister’s only boy ; 
but what sticks me is, why Aunt Marie ain’t 
more like our own folks? I wonder if Uncle 
John is just as had ? ” 

“ Don’t let’s say anything more about them, 
Joey, else we shall miss part of the good time we 
might have. I want to make the most of this 
day ! ” 

From that time until half-past two o’clock 
there was nothing in the day of pleasure she had 
planned, which Sadie missed. After Simon had 
been cared for near the market, with a generous 
feed of corn on the ground in front of him, the 
children went to call upon the officers of the 
County Fair Association, and the necessary ar- 
rangements were made for the entry of Betty 
and the oxen. Then it seemed best to go per- 
sonally to the fair-grounds in order to select sheds 
for the use of the cattle, and, afterward, in ac- 
cordance with his father’s instructions, Joey 
ordered four bales of hay to be sent, on the 
morning the fair was opened, to the buildings he 
had chosen. 

There were certain articles to be purchased, a 
list of which Aunt Jane had made, and when all 
this had been done the two children climbed into 


A LONG RIDE. 83 

the wagon and ate their dinner, without thought 
that they were in view of all the passers-by. 

“ I reckon Roop is too high-toned to eat things 
out of a basket, same’s we’re doin’,” Joey said as 
he toyed with a full half of the custard pie ; 
“ but I’ll bet he won’t get as good a dinner at 
the hotel as we’re havin’. Father says there ain’t 
mother’s equal as a cook in this whole county.” 

After the children had eaten all that was pos- 
sible, there yet remained in the basket enough 
for another hearty dinner, and Sadie said as she 
packed the food carefully away that it might be 
carried home again : 

“ Now let’s sit here a while and watch the 
people go by, it’s so exciting. I’ve been thinking 
that was what we’d do ever since we started 
from home.” 

It was quite as “ exciting ” to Joey as to his 
sister, and so engrossed were both that they lost 
all idea of the flight of time until two gentlemen 
passed near at hand, when one of them said to his 
companion : 

“ It’s half-past two, and we shall be late at the 
board meeting.” 

“I declare if I hadn’t forgotten all about goin’ 
after Roop ! ” Joey exclaimed, as he leaped to the 
ground and hurriedly began harnessing Simon. 


84 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“I told him we’d be on the corner ’bout two 
o’clock, an’ if he’s been watchin’ for us half an 
hour, I reckon his temper ain’t any of the best.” 

Five minutes later the children and Simon 
were at the street corner where they parted with 
Rupert earlier in the day, and Sadie said as Joey 
reined in the patient steed : 

“I don’t see him at any of the windows. Per- 
haps it is just their dinner-time ; I’ve heard 
mother say that some people think it is stylish to 
have dinner in the afternoon.” 

“ If that’s so, then I expect Aunt Marie has 
hers in the night, when she’s home,” Joey said 
laughingly. “I guess the hotel dinner is over 
by this time, an’ Roop’ll be along after a while ; 
he’s a good deal like old Simon — don’t like to 
move very fast.” 

Very patiently the children waited until the 
town clock struck the hour of three, and then 
Sadie said decisively : 

“You must go and see where he is, Joey. 
Mother will be terribly worried if we don’t get 
home before dark, and we haven’t much more 
than time, even if we start this very minute.” 

Joey leaped out of the wagon and ran toward 
the hotel, wondering whether his cousin might 
not feel offended if he showed himself there, yet 


A LONG RIDE. 


85 


realizing that it was no longer a question of 
ministering to Rupert’s whims, but an absolute 
necessity that they start homeward very soon. 

Timidly he entered the building, and hurried 
from one public room to another, hut without 
seeing anything of his cousin. The hotel was by 
no means thronged with guests, therefore he had 
little difficulty in making certain that Rupert was 
not among them. 

“I can’t find him anywhere ! ” Joey cried, 
running back to where Sadie and Simon were 
waiting. 

“ He must be there ! ” 

“ I couldn’t find him.” 

“ Did you ask anybody if they’d seen him ? ” 

“ No ; I never thought of that.” 

“ Then go straight up to the man who owns the 
hotel, and ask him what he knows about Rupert,” 
Sadie said in a tone of authority, and Joey has- 
tened to obey what was neither more nor less than 
a command. 


CHAPTER VI. 


RUPERT’S WHIM. 

Joey re-entered the hotel shyly ; he believed 
that none save those who were prepared to spend 
money, and a good deal of it, were allowed inside, 
therefore he was an intruder. Under almost any 
other circumstances he would have refused flatly 
to make any effort at finding the owner of the 
establishment ; but it seemed imperative he and 
Sadie be at home before sunset, and to such end it 
was necessary Rupert be found as soon as possi- 
ble. 

Fortunately Joey had but little difficulty in 
finding the landlord ; the first person he accosted 
was a boy who had been giving a very poor imita- 
tion of cleaning a window, and this lad appeared 
more than willing to cease work in order to give 
the bashful visitor the information he desired. 

“ There’s the boss, over there whittlin’. Are 
you sure he's the one you want to see ? ” 

“ I think so,” Joey replied timidly. “ I’m look- 
86 


RUPERTS WHIM. 87 

in’ for Roop ; he said he’d be here ’bout two 
o’clock, an’ I want to find out where he is.” 

“ Who’s Roop ? ” the lad asked as he ceased all 
pretence of work, now that he had .an excuse for 
idling. 

“ He’s a cousin of ours, an’ was cornin’ here to 
dinner.” 

“ I’ll bet I know the very fellow you mean ! 
Does he go ’round with his nose stuck up, actin’ 
as if he couldn’t find anything good enough for 
him ? ” 

“ That’s the very one ! ” Joey exclaimed, de- 
lighted at having found thus readily one who 
could give him the information he desired. 
“ Where is he ? ” 

“ I dunno ; he swung ’round a good deal before 
dinner, an’ then I saw him loafin’ in the stable. 
P’rhaps he’s there now ; we’ll go an’ see,” and the 
boy started toward the street door, when the man 
who had been pointed out as the landlord, cried 
sharply : 

“ Come back here, Sam, you shiftless apology 
for a boy. I want you to stick right at cleanin’ 
them windows, an’ if you sneak off agin we’re 
likely to have trouble.” 

“ But here’s a fellow who’s huntin’ after his 
cousin ; says he was goin’ to be here to dinner, 


88 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


an’ I reckon he means the one who was puttin’ 
on so many airs. He was out in the stable the 
last—” 

“ Get to work cleanin’ them windows, an’ I’ll 
’tend to runnin’ this house, if it’s all the same 
to you. Who ’re you lookin’ for, sonny ? ” he 
added, turning toward Joey, whose courage re- 
vived when he saw that the proprietor of the hotel 
was not the awe-inspiring man he had expected to 
find. 

“I’m huntin’ for a cousin of mine who stopped 
here when we first came into town, sir.” 

“ Are you Deacon Jonas Crawford’s boy ? ” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“An’ does your cousin call himself Rupert 
Stockbridge ? ” 

“ That’s his name ! He said he’d be watchin’ 
for us when we’d finished doin’ our errands,” and 
Joey motioned toward the window from which 
Sadie and old Simon could be seen, as if to iden- 
tify them as members of his party. 

“ Say, can your cousin handle a horse all 
right ? ” the landlord asked after glancing at 
Sadie. 

“ I don’t know, sir ; but he told me his father 
owned some fast ones. Do you know where he 
is % ” 


RUPERTS WHIM. 


89 


“ I know he ought’er be back by this time,” 
the landlord replied almost angrily. ‘ ‘ He stopped 
here to dinner, an’ it didn’t seem as if we had any- 
thing good enough for him, ’cordin’ to the way he 
grumbled. Then he wanted to hire a team ; told 
me who his father was, an’ said he was visitin’ 
Deacon Jonas. He seemed to have plenty of 
money allowed he knew all about horses, an’ I 
let him have a pretty fair turn-out with the agree- 
ment that he’d be back before two o’clock. I 
reckon if anything has happened to my property, 
his father is able to settle the bills ? ” 

“ Uncle John is a rich man,” Joey began, and 
then he ceased speaking very suddenly as he re- 
membered what he had heard his parents talking 
about, and mentally questioned if a very wealthy 
man would be so eager to borrow money. 

The landlord did not, apparently, give any heed 
to the sudden break in Joey’s statement ; but said 
in a tone of anxiety, as he gazed out of the 
window : 

‘ 4 If he knows how to handle a horse, everything 
is all right, an’ he has gone further than he 
counted on ; but I let him have a beast that 
wouldn’t put up with any foolin’. I reckon 
you’re countin’ on waitin’ for him ? ” 

“ Sadie an’ I must be home before dark, an’ 


90 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


Simon can’t travel very fast,” Joey replied in 
perplexity. “I don’t know what we ought’er 
do.” 

“ Well, I can’t tell you,” the landlord said as 
he resumed his whittling; “ but I know that 
somebody will have to pay me for that ’ere team 
if anything has gone wrong.” 

Joey was not thinking of possible accidents just 
then. The one thought in his mind was that his 
mother would be alarmed concerning them, if 
they failed to arrive at Hillside farm before 
sunset. 

While one might have counted twenty he stood 
irresolutely in front of the whittling landlord, 
and then, turning suddenly, ran to where Sadie 
was awaiting him with no slight show of impati- 
ence. 

“ Where’s Kupert ?” she cried while Joey was 
yet some distance away. “He must hurry, else 
we can’t get home before dark, and I don’t know 
what mother would say if we wasn’t there at 
supper-time.” 

“ He’s gone to ride, an’ nobody knows when 
he’ll be back ! ” Joey cried angrily. “ Now what 
are we to do ? ” 

It was some time before Sadie could understand 
that their cousin had gone away on a pleasure ex- 


RUPERTS WHIM. 


91 


cursion of liis own, and then she sat staring at 
Joey in mingled surprise and vexation. 

“ Why don’t you say something ?” her brother 
asked irritably. “ If I ain’t home at feedin’ time, 
who’ll take care of Betty ? ” 

“ But, Joey, we can’t leave him here in Tops- 
ham ; we’re bound to wait for him ! ” 

“ An’ what’ll mother say when it comes night, 
an’ we ain’t there ? ” 

“ I know it, Joey, I know it ! How could he do 
such a thing when he has seen how long it takes 
us to drive eight miles ? ” 

“ I say that we ought’er go along, an’ let him 
get back the best he knows how. Why we can't 
stay here any longer, Sadie ! ” 

“ Why didn’t he stay at home ? That’s what 
he would have done if Aunt Marie hadn’t hired 
him to come with us, and now he’s spoiled all the 
good time we’ve had ! ” Sadie wailed, and Joey 
cried impatiently : 

“ It won’t do any good to stand here wishin’. 
He’s off ridin’ so’s to make folks think he’s terri- 
bly high-toned, an’ it ain’t certain he’ll get back 
before dark ! I believe in goin’ home, an’ if Uncle 
John wants to come after him, there’s nothing to 
prevent. That’ll be better than lettin’ mother 
worry her head off.” 


92 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“But, Joey, it would never do. Only think of 
his being here all alone, and how badly Aunt 
Marie would feel when we got back without 
him ! ” 

“ Then you believe we ought’er wait till he gets 
good an’ ready to come ? ” 

“ There’s nothing else we can do, Joey,” Sadie 
replied tearfully. “You’ll have to hitch Simon 
so he can’t run away again, and I’ll stay right 
here in the wagon. Oh dear, oh dear, what will 
mother think ? ” 

“ She’ll think we’re fools to stay ’round till 
after dark for a stuck-up thing like Roop,” Joey 
said petulantly, but he set about fastening Simon 
as his sister had suggested. 

When this had been done Joey stood near the 
wagon irresolutely, gazing down the road in the 
direction from which he expected his cousin would 
appear, until Sadie said, as she choked back a 
little sob : 

“ Don’t you think it would be a good plan for 
you to go over to the hotel again ? Rupert is so 
queer that he might stay there instead of coming 
here, if we didn’t do just what happened to please 
him.” 

“I’ll go,” Joey said emphatically ; “but he’d 
better not make any foolish talk to me, else I’ll 


RUPERTS WHIM. 93 

tell him right up an’ down that we’ll never let 
him go anywhere with us again.” 

“ You mustn’t quarrel, Joey. Kemember that 
he’s father’s only sister’s only boy, an’ we’re his 
cousins.” 

“It’s a big pity he didn’t go to the sea-shore as 
he wanted to, instead of cornin’ to Hillside farm,” 
Master Joey said as he walked slowly toward the 
hotel, and Sadie cried soothingly : 

“ Of course it won’t be anything so very dread- 
ful for us to drive back in the night. The only 
trouble is that mother will worry dreadfully ; but 
we must try to make the best of it.” 

Joey was too far away to make any reply, and 
as he neared the hotel, the boy who had been pre- 
tending to clean the windows, came out to meet 
him. 

“If that fellow don’t show up pretty soon I 
wouldn’t wonder if Colonel Hartley went out to 
find him, ’cause the rig he hired is worth a good 
deal of money.” 

“ Who ’s Colonel Hartley ? ” 

“ Why he’s the one you were talkin’ with ; he’s 
the man who runs the hotel.” 

“ What’s he goin’ after his team for ? ” 

“ He’s beginnin’ to think that somethin’ has 
happened, else that fellow would have come back. 


94 : 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


You see, the horse he hired is pretty high-strung, 
an’ wouldn’t stand any foolin’ if things went 
wrong.” 

“ I don’t think the owner should have let Roop 
take such a horse. ” 

“Why, the way that fellow talked you’d 
thought he’d always lived in a stable ; he told 
about the kind of horses his father owned, and 
when the team was made ready, he turned up his 
nose at it. Is that your sister over there ? ” 

“Yes, an’ we ought’er been on our way home 
an hour ago ; but she thinks we’re bound to wait 
till Roop comes.” 

“Why don’t you bring her inter the hotel, in- 
stead of leavin’ her out there in the sun ? ” 

“ I reckon she’d rather stay where she is, so’s to 
be ready to start the minute Roop shows up ; be- 
sides,” and now Joey grew confidential, “we 
haven’t got money enough to pay for stayin’ at a 
hotel.” 

“ Colonel Hartley wouldn’t charge anything 
to let her sit in the parlor a spell. He knows your 
father, so he said, an’ by the way I heard him 
talk after you went out, he’d be willin’ to let you 
run up quite a bill here,” and the boy would 
have led Joey into the hotel, but that he resisted 
any such friendly efforts. 


RUPERT'S WHIM. 


95 


“ I don’t run up bills for other folks to pay, an’ 
Sadie had rather stay where she is. I thought 
I’d kind’er hang ’round here so’s to see Roop the 
minute he got back.” 

‘•'All right ; make yourself at home, an’ if you 
want’er know ’bout anything, come to me if the 
colonel ain’t ’tendin’ out on business.” 

Then the boy walked slowly away as if bur- 
dened by a sense of his responsibilities, and Joey 
stood gazing down the road until the town clock 
struck the hour of four. 

He had never before been away from home in 
the evening, and a certain feeling of loneliness 
came over him as he thought of his mother, who 
by this time was probably expecting to see them 
drive into the yard. 

Then he went over to the wagon, where Sadie 
was trying to amuse herself by nibbling at the 
food which had been left from dinner, and stood 
impatiently near the wheel. 

“No, I couldn’t eat anything,” he said gloomily 
as she held the basket toward him. “It just 
makes me sick to think of our foolin’ ’round here 
when we ought’er to be pretty near home by this 
time.” 

“ Rupert must come soon, and we’ll be home 
before mother gets to feeling real badly. You 


96 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


might as well sit here with me, for we can see a 
carriage when it drives up to the hotel.” 

Joey clambered on the seat beside his sister, 
and there the two remained watching eagerly, 
and talking but little, until the clock struck the 
hour of five. 

At the same moment a market wagon, in 
which were a man and a boy, was driven into 
the stable yard of the hotel ; but Joey gave little 
heed to it, since that was not the kind of a team 
Rupert had hired, until he saw the landlord 
come out hurriedly, and a moment later the lad 
whose acquaintance he had made, waved his 
hand frantically, as if beckoning for him to come 
over. 

4 ‘ Perhaps they have heard something from 
Rupert,” Sadie suggested, and Joey was out of 
the wagon in a twinkling, running hurriedly up 
the street. 

A moment later, to his great surprise, he saw 
that the boy in the market wagon was his cousin 
Rupert, who appeared to he in considerable pain, 
for he held his left arm stiffly, while the tears 
rolled down his cheeks, which were scratched and 
bloody. 

When Joey came up the landlord was saying 
to the man who had brought Rupert back : 


RUPERTS WHIM. 


97 


“ So the carriage is smashed, eh ? ” 

“ It looks as if it wasn’t worth haulin’ home. 
The horse struck straight across lots, it seems, an’ 
by the time he’d pulled the carriage through a 
hemlock grove an’ over two or three stone walls, 
it don’t stand to reason there’d be much of it 
left.” 

“ An’ you say the horse is cut hadly ?” 

“ There’s a big gash on his off hind leg that 
bled a good bit, so I waited till the blood could be 
stopped before startin’ out with the boy.” 

“ How did it happen?” the landlord asked of 
Rupert ; but that young gentleman groaned over 
his arm without making any reply, and the man 
who had brought him in, said ; 

“As near as I can make out, this boy was 
runnin’ him down Rankin’s hill, usin’ the whip 
like all possessed. Just there by the waterin’ 
trough he must have pulled the horse around, 
though for the life of me I can’t make out why, 
an’ then the trouble began, for you can see the 
marks of the wheel on the trough.” 

“I thought you knew all about horses?” the 
landlord cried in a threatening tone as he turned 
toward Rupert. “Have you got money about 
your clothes to pay for the mischief you’ve 

done ? ” 

7 


98 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ I want to be taken into the hotel, and my 
father will pay the bills when he comes,” Rupert 
said with a groan, and again the tears rolled 
down his bloody cheeks. 

“ I reckon the boy is hurt some considerable,” 
the owner of the market wagon said to Colonel 
Hartley. “ You can see that his clothes are 
pretty nigh torn off of him, an’ he declares his 
arm is broken. If I was runnin’ this ’ere hotel 
I’d take him in an’ call a doctor. ’Cordin’ to 
what he says, his father is able to pay all the 
bills.” 

“Yes, ’cordin’ to what he says,” the landlord 
replied angrily, “ an’ ’cordin’ to what he said, he 
knew all about handlin’ a horse. There may be 
no more truth in the last story than there was in 
the first.” 

“ But he allows Deacon Jonas Crawford is his 
uncle, an’ if that’s the case you’ll get all that’s 
cornin’ to you,” the owner of the market wagon 
added, and at this suggestion the landlord’s anger 
died away in a measure ; but he turned toward 
Joey, as he asked : 

“ Is that lad your cousin ? ” 

“Yes, sir, an’ his father was cornin’ to our 
house this mornin’ ; but why don’t Roop go home 
with Sadie an’ me ? ” 



I » 


“I THOUGHT YOU KNEW ALL ABOUT HORSES 












RUPERT’S WHIM. 


99 


At the sound of Joey’s voice Master Rupert 
looked up, and asked petulantly : 

“ Why don’t you go right away and tell mother 
to come % I’ll stop here, for I couldn’t ride home 
with that half-dead horse of yours.” 

“ You’d better go home, sonny,” Colonel 
Hartley added. “I’ll have a doctor here to look 
at his arm, an’ you can tell your father that 
everything necessary will be done.” 

“I won’t have a doctor till mother gets here,” 
Rupert whined, and the landlord said grimly : 

“I reckon I shall come pretty nigh runnin’ 
things to suit myself, till your folks get here. 
Sam,” he added, looking around for the boy who 
had been pretending to clean the windows, “ run 
over to Dr. Fellows’ office, an’ tell him to come an’ 
look after Deacon Jonas Crawford’s nephew.” 

Rupert had given no heed to his cousin after 
declaring that he couldn’t ride home behind 
Simon, and Joey knew of nothing better to do 
than explain to Sadie what had happened. 

“ Can I do anything for him ?” she asked after 
hearing the story of the accident. “ It don’t seem, 
right for us to go away and leave him here 
alone.” 

“But that’s what he wanted us to do, an’ if 
you’d heard how he said it, I’m thinkin’ you 

Lore; 


100 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


couldn’t get away soon enough,” and Joey began 
to make ready for the journey. 

4 4 But he’s hurt so badly that the men think 
he needs a doctor, and surely we ought to do all 
we can for him, no matter how disagreeable he 
may be. You must remember that he’s father’s 
only — ” 

44 Stop right there, Sarah Crawford!” Joey 
cried sharply. 44 1 don’t want to hear any more 
about his bein’ Aunt Marie’s only boy! It’s 
lucky for us she hasn’t got but one, for if we’d had 
two like him at Hillside farm this past week, we’d 
been driven out of house an’ home.” 

Then Joey clambered into the wagon, and old 
Simon, who was probably wondering why he had 
not been driven homeward two hours before, 
started off at an unusually rapid pace. 

It was past six o’clock, and the children could 
not hope to arrive at the farm before nine. 
Both knew that even then their mother was anx- 
ious concerning them, and all the pleasure of 
the morning was forgotten as they thought of the 
trouble and mental distress their protracted stay 
was causing. 

Joey did his best to urge Simon on at a trot ; 
but after the first burst of speed the old fellow 
had relapsed into a jog which seemed unsually 


RUPERT’S WHIM. 101 

slow, because of their desire to get over the 
ground swiftly. 

Night came when they had accomplished no 
more than half the journey, and Sadie was 
struggling bravely to prevent tears of sorrow and 
disappointment from overflowing her eyes, when 
the rumble of an approaching wagon could be 
heard, causing Joey to guide old Simon out on 
the side of the road that there might be no diffi- 
culty in passing. 

Then both the children were surprised into ex- 
clamations of joy and relief, as they heard their 
father’s voice calling : 

“ Are you there, my chickens ? ” 

“Oh, father, father!” Sadie screamed, and 
Joey cried : 

“ Did you come after us ? ” 

“Of course I did ; are you all right ? ” 

“ There’s nothin’ the matter with us ; but Eoop 
has been kickin’ -up quite a row,” Joey replied, 
and then, hurriedly, he told as much as he knew 
of his cousin’s misadventures. 

Deacon Crawford made no comments ; but 
after remaining silent a moment, as if thinking 
the matter over, he said : 

“I reckon the boy’s mother will want to go 
to him, though I can’t believe he’s hurt very 


102 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


much if he could sit up and talk in his usual 
fashion. If I drive to Topsliam now, I’ll likely 
have to go right back with Maryann, so we may 
as well turn about here.” 

“ You’d best take Sadie in with you, an’ then 
you can go right along without waitin’ for 
Simon,” Joey suggested. “ I s’pose mother’ll be 
in a peck of trouble till she knows we’re all 
right.” 

“ You’re a good son, Joey, an’ I only wish Mary- 
ann had one in which she could take comfort,” 
Deacon Crawford said as he turned his horse, and 
Joey felt that he would willingly endure the 
anxieties and annoyances of the afternoon half a 
dozen times over, in order to win such praise 
again. 

Sadie clambered into her father’s carriage, and 
the deacon’s horse started homeward at a rapid 
pace, soon leaving the plodding Simon far behind ; 
but Joey no longer fretted because of being forced 
to travel so slowly, nor did he worry any more 
about Betty. His heart w T as very light because 
of what his father had said, and he hardly knew 
whether Simon was walking or making believe 
trot. 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE INVALID. 

Before Joey arrived home, a carriage in which 
were three persons passed him on the road, and he 
heard his father shout : 

“I’ve taken care of Betty for you, son, so 
you’ll have nothin’ to do but go straight to bed 
after feedin’ Simon.” 

“ Father is takin’ Uncle John an’ Aunt Marie 
over to Topsham, an’ Colonel Hartley will have a 
chance to find out who’s goin’ to pay him for the 
damage done to the horse an’ wagon,” the lad 
said to himself, and then there came into his 
heart a fear lest Rupert might have been injured 
more seriously than at first appeared. “ I s’pose 
he’s like the rest of the city boys, an’ can’t help 
actin’ the way he does, so I’m makin’ a pig of my- 
self by bein’ cross.” 

Half an hour later he drove into the yard of 
Hillside farm, and there on the stone door-step 
were his mother and Sadie awaiting his coming. 

“ What made you stay up for me ? ” he cried 
103 


104 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


cheerily. “I thought you’d go to bed as soon as 
father got back.” 

“ Do you think we’d let you go to bed without 
any supper ? ” his mother asked, coming to the- 
wheel of the wagon that she might take him by 
the hand caressingly. “ Wait till Sadie gets the 
lantern, an’ while you’re takin’ care of Simon, 
I’ll put the things on the table.” 

Then Aunt Jane took his face in both her 
hands, and, pulling his head down toward hers, 
kissed him again and again, as if they had just 
met after a long separation. 

Sadie came out with the lighted lantern, run- 
ning on ahead to the stable, and Joey drove 
Simon behind her, feeling somehow as if he had 
been rewarded far beyond his deserts for the 
vexation of spirit caused by his cousin. 

“So father had to go right back with Aunt 
Marie ? ” he said when Simon came to a halt in 
front of the stable door, and Sadie replied : 

“Yes; she was certain Rupert had been hurt 
worse than you believed, and said she’d walk, if 
father didn’t take her at once, so of course Uncle 
John had to go with her.” 

“ Did mother worry very much because we 
didn’t get home ? ” Joey asked, as he began to un- 
harness Simon. 


THE INVALID. 


105 


“ She tried not to, because Aunt Marie was 
taking on so badly, declaring she was certain 
Simon had run away again, and it’s well she 
didn’t know that Rupert was out driving with a 
horse he’d never seen before. Mother didn’t ask 
father to go after us ; he walked back and forth 
from the stable to the house, till finally he said he 
couldn’t stand it any longer, and off he drove.” 

Joey gave old Simon a good bed and a hearty 
supper, after which he peeped in at Betty, and 
found her standing knee-deep in fresh straw, look- 
ing so handsome that he couldn’t help putting his 
arms around her neck and kissing the brown nose. 

“ She’ll bring home the blue ribbon, Sadie, or 
it’ll be because they’ve stopped awardin’ prizes 
for heifers. Now that Roop’s likely to stay at 
Topsham, I’ll have plenty of time to look after 
her as she needs.” 

“ You’ll do that wherever he is, Joey, and I 
truly believe you’ll get the ribbon,” Sadie said 
confidently, and then the children went back to 
the house where their mother was awaiting them. 

“ It’s good to have our chickens home again,” 
Aunt Jane said as she seated herself at the boun- 
tifully-spread table, and then Joey learned that 
Sadie had refused to eat her supper until he had 


come. 


106 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


Then, after the dishes had been washed and the 
table set to rights, Aunt Jane led the way out on 
the broad stone step again, and Joey asked in sur- 
prise : 

“ Ain’t we goin’ to bed, mother ?” 

“ I thought we’d wait for father. There’s no 
reason why he should stay in Topsham very long, 
an’, knowin’ we’re alone, he’ll drive fast.” 

Then, seated on the step, with an arm around 
each of her “chickens,” Aunt Jane sang to the 
children as she had sung when they were helpless 
mites in her arms, and thus the three spent the 
time until the deacon drove into the yard. 

“ I declare for it, mother, it made me feel young 
again to hear you singin’ to the babies, an’ if I 
never knew it before, I know now that God has 
been good to you an’ me past all our deservin’ ! ” 

“ That is true, Jonas; an’ I’ve been thankin’ 
Him over an’ over again this evenin’. How is 
Rupert ? ” 

“ The doctor says he is scratched up a good 
deal, as anybody can see, an’ that his arm may 
be sprained a little ; but there’s no sign it’s been 
hurt. I can’t but think he’s tryin’ to make him- 
self out a good deal worse than he is, so there 
won’t be much said about the team he ruined. 
John Stockbridge will have a big bill to pay, for 


THE INVALID. 


107 


Colonel Hartley won’t let such a chance for sell- 
in’ an ordinary horse an’ a second-hand carriage, 
slip past him without makin’ a big fight.” 

“ Will your sister stay in Topsham ?” 

“ She told me that if Rupert was able to be 
moved, John would bring ’em down to the farm 
in the mornin’. After eatin’ one meal at the 
Topsham House, she’ll get an idee that you know 
somethin’ ’bout cookin’, mother. I paid fifty cents 
for a dinner there once, an’ it was just so much 
money thrown away.” 

Then the deacon drove off toward the stable 
whistling cheerily, and Joey followed on behind 
with the lantern. 

Half an hour later the Crawford family was 
asleep, and the sun had been looking over the hills 
next morning fully half an hour, when Aunt Jane 
called to Joey : 

“ Betty will think you’ve forgotten all about 
her if you don’t get up soon. I’d hate to have the 
neighbors know that we’d slept on a summer 
mornin’ till after sunrise.” 

At the breakfast table Deacon Crawford said to 
his wife : 

“ I reckon it won’t be possible for me to get in 
a day’s work before another night comes. Unless 
that boy can make his mother believe he’s terribly 


108 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


bad off, John an’ Maryann will be here before 
noon, an’ it ain’t just the thing to leave John 
alone.” 

“ I think, Jonas Crawford, that you can afford 
to idle away a few days while your only sister an’ 
her husband are visitin’ us for the first time. 
We’ll work all the harder to make up for it after 
they’re gone.” 

“I’ll drive down to the depot an’ see if I can’t 
hire somebody to take my place, an’ be back be- 
fore there’s any chance of their gettin’ here,” and 
the deacon hurriedly finished the meal, leaving his 
family at the table when he went to harness the 
horse. 

Joey’s face fell when his father spoke of the 
probability that his cousin would soon be back at 
the farm, and he hurried toward the stable, after 
explaining that Betty, having been almost neg- 
lected during one full day, needed more than or- 
dinary attention if she was to be got into proper 
condition for the opening of the fair. 

It was not yet ten o’clock when Joey, who had 
gone down to the onion beds after caring for Betty, 
heard Sadie calling him, and he knew without 
being told, that Rupert was coming back. 

“ They are driving down the road, and mother 
says you’re to be at the house to speak with your 


THE INVALID. 


109 


cousin ! ” Sadie cried, and Joey followed her 
promptly, but very unwillingly, arriving at the 
kitchen door just as the carriage from Topsham 
w r as brought to a stop at the front gate. 

Mr. Stockbridge leaped out to assist his wife, 
and then came Rupert, his face covered with strips 
of adhesive plaster, and his arm in a sling. The 
lad was able to move about unaided, and Joey 
went up to him at once, as he said in a cheery 
tone : 

“ I’m glad to see that you wasn’t hurt as badly 
as you first thought. How are you feelin’ ? ” 

“ A good deal worse than I would be if you 
hadn’t left me alone in that miserable town. 
What did you suppose I was going to do with 
myself while you and Sadie were off having a good 
time ? ” 

“But it was you who left us ! ” Joey cried in 
amazement. “ You said the agreement with your 
mother was that you should stop at the hotel, in- 
stead of goin’ with us, an’ that’s why she gave 
you five dollars to spend.” 

“ That isn’t anything like what I told you,” 
Rupert said angrily, and looking at his parents as 
if to learn whether they had heard Joey’s words. 

“What did you say?” and Joey’s face was 
flaming red by this time, for it seemed to him 


110 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


that his cousin had deliberately accused him of 
telling that which was not true. 

“ You know, so there’s no need of my repeating 
it. If I could have gone where you did, I wouldn’t 
have been coaxed into driving a vicious horse.” 

Joey no longer attempted to defend himself ; it 
bewildered him to hear Rupert speak as if he had 
not been allowed to go with him and his sister, 
and he could only stare at the lad who made such 
a monstrous assertion. 

Sadie, however,, was not silenced by the bold 
statement, nor did she intend that her aunt should 
he allowed to believe Rupert had not been welcome 
to share all their pleasures, and before her mother 
could check her, she said, going very near to her 
cousin and speaking so that every one might 
hear : 

“ You know very well, Rupert, we expected 
you would go with us until you said your mother 
had given you money so you could get dinner 
at the hotel. You didn’t even w^ant to be seen 
in the wagon with us ; but agreed to be ready at 
two o’clock to come home. Colonel Hartley told 
Joey you claimed to know all about horses, and 
only because of that did they let you have a team.” 

Deacon Crawford, who had been a short dis- 
tance away when Sadie began talking, now laid 


THE INVALID. 


Ill 


his hand on the child’s shoulder, as he said 
mildly : 

“We won’t say anything more about it, sweet- 
heart. Rupert has had a bad scare an’ a nasty 
shake-up, so we can’t expect him to remember 
exactly how it all happened. Joey, you’d best 
bring in some water for your mother, while she 
helps get your cousin up-stairs. ” 

“ I can walk very well without any help,” 
Rupert said sulkily, and then he disappeared with- 
in the house, his mother and father following a 
moment later. 

When Aunt Jane went into the kitchen again 
she found Joey sitting by the window, his cheeks 
glowing, and the tears swimming in his eyes as 
if ready to flow. 

“ Now Joey, dear,” his mother said as she kissed 
him tenderly. “ Are you mournin’ over what 
Rupert said ? ” 

‘ 4 It wasn’t true, mother, an’ he made it seem 
as if I’d told a lie ! Uncle John and Aunt Marie 
will think I’m the meanest kind of a boy, an’ I 
didn’t suppose he had any thought of leavin’ us 
to go off by himself, till we came in sight of the 
hotel.” 

“ I know all that, my boy,” Aunt Jane said as 
she kissed the red cheeks. ‘ 4 Rupert is your cousin, 


112 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


an’ what’s more, lie’s visitin’ us, so we mustn’t 
have any trouble. Let the matter drop right 
where it is, an’ try not to think of it again.” 

“Have I got to stay ’round where he is, an’ 
make believe I’ve forgotten that he just the same 
as called me a liar ? ” 

“No, Joey; I think that would be askin’ too 
much of you,” Aunt Jane said as she patted him 
on the shoulder. “Of course you must come in 
to your meals with the rest of us ; hut at other 
times you may work ’round the farm wherever 
you please.” 

With this understanding Joey went back to his 
task on the onion beds ; but the color in his 
cheeks told that the sting of what Rupert had 
said still rankled in his heart. 

Rupert was not at the dinner-table, for which 
there was good excuse, since his bandaged arm 
prevented him from feeding himself, and Joey 
did not linger after his hunger was appeased. 
Back he went to his work of weeding, and when 
the afternoon was nearly at an end he started 
up in surprise not unmixed with anger, for his 
cousin was coming directly toward him, picking 
his way daintily between the rows of onions. 

“Look here, Joe,” Rupert began while he was 
yet four or five yards away, talking rapidly as if 


THE INVALID. 


113 


wishing to come speedily to the end of a disagree- 
able subject, “ you ought to have sense enough 
to know I had to tell some kind of a story that 
would sound well, after getting into the scrape I 
did, and any decent fellow would have held his 
tongue, instead of blattingout the way you did.” 

“ I only said what was the truth, an’ you know 
it ! ” Joey cried hotly. 

“ Well, suppose it was the truth, what was the 
need of blowing it so loud ? I spoke quickly so’s 
you would know how I’d made up my mind to 
tell it, and when you saw that a cousin of yours 
was in such a hard place, you should have let it 
gone his way.” 

“ Why?” 

“Can’t you see why?” Kupert cried angrily. 
“That manat the hotel wants to make father 
pay him two hundred and fifty dollars for the 
horse and carriage, and my only way is to make 
it look as if I had some good excuse for going off 
by myself.” 

“ Why didn’t you tell him the truth ? No good 
ever comes of lyin’.” 

“ Oh you are simple, or else you don’t want to 
understand. If father thinks you and Sadie went 
away and left me, he won’t be so angry because 

I hired the team, and I want both of you to tell 
8 


114 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


the story my way. I’d do the same thing for you 
any time, without half so much talk about it.” 

“We Crawfords tell a story just as it happened. 
It may be we don’t know quite so much as you 
children who live in the city ; but we’d be ashamed 
to tell a lie, even if it wasn’t wicked.” 

“ Oh, you’re too good, you are ! ” Rupert said 
sneeringly. “ So you Crawfords tell a story just 
as it happened, do you? Well, I’ll stick to what 
I’ve already said, and we’ll see if you can back 
me down.” 

“ We shan’t try to,” Joey said, speaking more 
mildly as he remembered what his mother had 
said. “We told father an’ mother how you left 
us, an’ they believe we spoke the truth.” 

“ We’ll see whether they do or not,” Rupert 
said threateningly, as if he knew of some way by 
which they could be made to believe him, and 
then he turned as if to go away ; but paused long 
enough to ask once more : 

“ Then you won’t try to help me out of a 
scrape ? ” 

“ I won’t tell a lie about it, for that’s what you 
mean,” Joey replied firmly, and Rupert walked 
stiffly away with an expression on his face which 
was not pleasant to look upon. 

u I reckon the whole family of Stockbridges 


THE INVALID. 


115 


think I’m a pretty mean kind of a fellow,” Joey 
said half to himself as he resumed his work of 
weeding. “I don’t know which is worse — for 
Uncle John and Aunt Marie to think I sneaked 
off from Roop an’ then lied about it, or for him 
to believe I’m cheap enough to be frightened into 
tollin’ it his way. Anyhow, he wasn’t hurt so 
terribly bad, else he wouldn’t be walkin’ ’round 
now lively as a cricket, an’ it ain’t likely he’ll be 
willin’ to stay here a great while after all he has 
said.” 

Joey ceased work in the field sufficiently early 
to be able to spend half an hour with Betty be- 
fore supper, and while he was in the stall comb- 
ing and brushing the handsome creature, he saw, 
through the cracks in the partition, Rupert enter 
the stable softly. After peering around cautiously 
as if to make sure no one was near, he tip-toed 
across the floor as if intending to enter the calf’s 
stall. 

When he was within three or four feet of the 
door, and his hand was outstretched as if to lift 
the latch, Deacon Crawford called from the lane : 

“ Joey ! Joey ! Open the door of the tie-up, for 
I’ve brought the cows in from pasture ! ” 

It was possible to obey the command without 
going where Rupert could see him, and Joey de- 


116 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


layed only long enough to watch his cousin steal 
out of the stable hurriedly, as if afraid of being 
seen there. 

“ Now what did he mean by all that ? ” the boy 
asked of himself. “ It’s certain he was up to 
some kind of mischief, else why shouldn’t he 
come into the stable without sneakin’ ? ” 

“ What seems to be troublin’ you, son?” 
Deacon Crawford asked when he saw the look of 
bewilderment and anxiety on the boy’s face. 

“ I’d rather not tell you yet a while, father,” 
Joey said thoughtfully. 

“ Ain’t sick, are you ?” 

“ Not a bit of it. I’ve just been lookin’ after 
Betty, but want to see Sadie a little minute.” 

“ She has been down to the pasture with me ; 
you’ll find her out by the gooseberry bushes, I 
reckon,” the deacon said cheerily, and Joey hur- 
ried away, for Sadie was the one member of the 
family whom he felt he could talk plainly with 
just then. 

He found his sister without any very lengthy 
search, and the two, hidden from view of those 
in the house by the bushes, held a long and serious 
consultation. Joey began by telling her of the 
proposition Bupert had made to him, and con- 
cluded with an account of their cousin’s behavior 


THE INVALID. H7 

in the stable, asking, when he was come to an 
end of his stories : 

“ Now what do you s’pose he meant by sneakin’ 
’round in that way ? ” 

“ Oh, Joey, do you believe he could be as mean 
as that ? ” Sadie cried suddenly, and the lad 
asked in surprise : 

“ As mean as what? Why do you s’pose he 
didn’t want anybody to see him in the stable ? ” 

“ Joey ! ” and Sadie really looked frightened as 
she spoke, “ do you think he could be so mean as 
to do anything to Betty, so she couldn’t win the 
prize ? ” 

“ Why should he want to do her any harm ? ” 
and now Joey was bewildered. 

“ So’s you would feel badly, and out of spite 
because you wouldn’t lie to help him make up a 
good story. But no that isn’t possible, of course. 
Nobody could be so mean ! ” 

Joey did not waste much time speculating upon 
the possibilities of what Rupert would be willing 
to do ; his suspicions were aroused to such an 
extent that he could see no other reason for his 
cousin’s stealthy entrance to the stable, save that 
of trying to prevent Betty from winning the blue 
ribbon, and now his one thought was as to how 
he might best guard his pet. 


118 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ Don’t worry, Joey,” Sadie said coaxingly, al- 
most frightened because of having thus suggested 
a meaning for Rupert’s movements. “ I’ll help 
you watch her, and he can’t get into the stable 
without one of us seeing him. Besides, after he’s 
had time to think it all over, he won’t dare do 
such a thing.” 

“ I ain’t goin’ to take the chances of our bein’ 
able to stop him ! ” Joey cried passionately. 
“This is the only time in Betty’s life when she’s 
got any chance of takin’ the blue ribbon for year- 
lin’s, an’ she shan’t be cheated out of it by Roop 
Stockbridge ! ” 

“ Oh dear, oh dear,” Sadie wailed in distress, 
“ I wish I hadn’t said anything — No, I don’t ; but 
I do wish you didn’t feel so certain that was what 
he wanted. It would be terrible to tell father 
that his only sister’s only boy could be so mean ! ” 

“ I ain’t countin’ on say in’ anything to him 
about it. You go hack to the house, an’ if mother 
asks for me, say I won’t be in to supper for quite 
a spell.” 

“ But what are you going to do, Joey ?” 

The owner of Betty looked cautiously around 
to make certain there was no one within sound of 
his voice, and then whispered in his sister’s ear : 

“ I’m goin’ to take Betty down to the hay bam 


THE INVALID. 


119 


without lettin’ anybody know a word about it. 
She shall stay there to-night, an’ in the morning 
I’ll have some plan rigged up to put her where 
that — where Roop can’t find her.” 

Sadie was really relieved at learning that her 
brother had nothing more alarming in mind, and 
promised that there should be no questions regard- 
ing his absence from the supper table. 

Then Joey, after assuring himself that no one 
in the house could see him as he entered the 
stable through the rear door, took such steps as 
he believed to be absolutely necessary for the 
safety of Betty. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 

When, fully half an hour after the supper 
dishes had been washed, Joey entered the kitchen, 
his mother asked no questions as to why he was 
so late, and he understood that Sadie had made 
such explanations as were necessary. 

“ You’ll find your supper on the pantry shelf, 
Joey, an’ you may as well eat it there so’s to save 
mussin’ up the kitchen. When you get through, 
come out on the front steps where the company 
is,” Aunt Jane said while Joey was washing his 
hands and face, and he replied : 

“ I guess I’d better go right away to bed, for 
I’m countin’ on gettin’ up bright an’ early to- 
morrow mornin’.” 

4 ‘I’m thinkin’ none of us will sleep very late, 
not even your aunt an’ Rupert ; but you’re not to 
go to bed until after seein’ your father ; he’s got 
some business matters to talk over with you.” 

“ Business matters ?” Joey repeated in perplex- 
ity. “ What’s goin’ on now ? ” 

120 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


121 


“ He will do his own talkin’, son, after you’ve 
finished your supper,” Aunt Jane said as she went 
through the dining-room on her way to the front 
steps, and Joey was so perplexed by her words 
that he did not give himself time to eat as much 
as he otherwise would have done. 

After having had barely sufficient to satisfy 
his hunger, he went around the outside of the 
house until he saw his father walking to and fro 
in the yard with Mr. Stockbridge, and there he 
remained until the deacon, espying him, said 
cheerily : 

“ Well, Joey, I’ve been waitin’ for you ; there’s 
a little matter of business to be settled ’twixt you 
an’ me, an’ then I reckon it’ll be our bedtime.” 

As he spoke Deacon Crawford walked toward 
the gate, while Mr. Stockbridge joined the family 
on the front steps, and, filled with wonderment 
because of what appeared to be a mystery, Joey 
followed his father. 

“ Let me see,” the deacon began when he and 
his son were beyond earshot of the others, “ Tops- 
ham fair begins next Tuesday, don’t it ?” 

“ Yes, sir,” Joey said hesitatingly, growing yet 
more surprised by such a question. 

“ An’ to-morrow is Friday. I can’t well get 
home before Wednesday or Thursday, an’ you’ll 


122 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


have to ’tend to ray business as well as your own. 
I’m allowin’ you’ll do it all right, so my bein’ 
away can’t make any great difference.” 

“ Are you goin’ to make a visit?” Joey asked 
in a whisper, for the idea of his father leaving 
the farm to be absent more than one day, was 
something so unusual as to be actually bewil- 
dering. 

“ Well, you can’t really call it visitin’, son, 
though I s’pose I’ll stay with your uncle while 
I’m away.” 

“ Then Eoop — I mean, Rupert, is goin’ home ? ” 
and Joey spoke in a tone of delight. 

“No, son, he an’ his mother will stay here ; 
your uncle an’ I have got some business in the 
city that can’t be put off any longer, an’ I’m 
obleeged to go in order to keep a promise I’ve the 
same as made. You’ll have to look after the 
farm, an’, what’s more, ’tend to the business at 
the fair for both of us.” 

“When are you goin’ away ?” Joey asked in a 
sorrowful tone, for it seemed to him at that 
moment as if with his father’s absence all hope 
of Betty’s winning the blue ribbon had fled. 

“ On the first train in the mornin’. You’re to 
take your uncle an’ me to the depot. I’ve hired 
Zenas Downs to do my part of the work ; but he’ll 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


123 


do it under your orders, for I’m countin’ that you 
will stand in my shoes. Tuesday mornin’, ’long 
’bout four o’clock, you an’ he had better start for 
the fair with the cattle. He can drive the oxen, 
while I allow you’ll hitch Betty to the hind end 
of the baggage wagon, an’ drive over with Simon. 
Zenas can come back with the horse, leavin’ you 
to stay with the live stock.” 

“ Do you mean that I’m to stay at the fair 
every night?” and Joey’s bewilderment seemed 
to be increasing as his father’s plans were un- 
folded. 

u It looks to me as if that’s what ought’er be 
done ; but if you can hire somebody who may be 
trusted, to take care of the cattle, do it. The 
amount of the story is, Joey, that you’re to run 
this thing ’cordin’ to your best judgment, an’ 
what I’m sayin’ is only to show you how I’d get 
about it. I thought Zenas could get home with 
Simon, if you started as early as four o’clock, in 
time to drive the family over with one of the 
other horses. I’ve hired a double carriage of 
Colonel Hartley, an’ he’ll hitch into it, leavin’ the 
old wagon in Topsham. Here’s five dollars, son, 
an’ I’m countin’ you’ll make a better showin’ 
with it than Rupert did on the same amount 
which his mother gave him.” 


124 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


Joey put the money carefully in his pocket, and 
tried to decide whether now was not the time 
when he should tell his father of the suspicions 
he and Sadie entertained in regard to the pos- 
sibility of Rupert’s doing mischief if the opportu- 
nity offered. It seemed to the boy as if, while 
his father was away, Betty would be at the mercy 
of any one who might be cruel enough to harm 
her, and the hope of winning the blue ribbon was 
growing less each moment. 

“ What’s the matter, son?” Deacon Crawford 
asked as he laid his hand on Joey’s shoulder. 
“ You’re actin’ kinder down at the heel.” 

“ I’m sorry you’re goin’ away, father, an’ that’s 
a fact,” Joey replied decidedly. 

“ I wouldn’t like to have you feelin’ glad over 
it, son ; but there’s no call for borrowin’ trouble. 
I’ll be back in time to see the blue ribbon on Betty’s 
neck as she parades with the other winners in 
front of the grand stand, an’ as for the business 
end of it, I’ve got confidence enough in you to 
believe everything will go on as smooth as if I 
was here to look after it. Remember that you’ll 
be in charge of the farm, an’ I want you to take 
the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, 
without thinkin’ that you must go to your mother 
for orders. She understands that things are to 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


125 


be run as you direct, while I’m away, an’ believes 
as I do, that it’s a good idea to find out what kind 
of a head for business you’ve got.” 

“ But I’m afraid I shan’t keep things goin’ 
right, father,” Joey cried, almost frightened at 
the thought of having full control of Hillside 
farm at the same time that he was to look after 
his own and his father’s interests at the fair. 

“ The Book tells us that a wise — meanin’ at the 
same time good — son maketh a glad father, an’ 
that’s what you’ve always made me, Joey boy. 
I ain’t hankerin’ to go to the city, for I’m bound 
there on business that I may be sorry for in 
time to come ; but it’s givin’ me a chance to 
see how you’ll get along when I’ve gone over 
into the next world, an’ that’s why I want 
you to run things ’cordin’ to your own best judg- 
ment.” 

Then the deacon, taking Joey’s head in his 
hands, kissed him on the forehead, and walked 
back to his guests on the front steps, while the 
boy, his heart filled at the sanre time with sad- 
ness and joy, went down into the orchard, for 
just then he most wanted to be alone. 

It seemed to him that his father had placed too 
heavy a burden on his shoulders. If he had been 
left to look after the work on the farm only, or 


126 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


if the business of showing cattle at the fair had 
been entrusted to him at a time when Rupert 
was not where he could possibly do mischief, he 
might acquit himself creditably ; but to have 
full charge of everything just when it appeared 
necessary he should keep a sharp watch over his 
cousin, was more than he felt able to do prop- 
erly. 

He was still studying over the matter when 
Sadie came into the orchard, and, slipping her 
hand into his, whispered : 

“ I know all about it, Joey dear. Father is 
going to the city to lend Uncle John some money, 
and you’re to take his place while he’s gone. 
Mother says she ain’t a bit afraid but you’ll get 
along all right.” 

“ She don’t know that we’re fearin’ somethin’ 
will happen to Betty,” Joey said gloomily. 

“ I told her enough to let her understand that 
Betty must be watched carefully, and I think she 
guessed a good deal. I’ll go down to the hay 
barn and stay there all the time you’re at the 
depot ; after that it will be strange if both of us 
can’t keep our eyes on him.” 

Before they had time to say anything more 
Aunt Jane called them into the house, for, in 
view of the fact that the deacon and Mr. Stock- 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


127 


bridge would be forced to start as early as five 
o’clock in order to catch the first train, it was 
high time the family went to bed. 

The sun had not risen next morning when Joey 
visited Betty at the hay barn, and did what was 
necessary for her comfort and well-being, after 
which he ate breakfast. Zenas Downs had al- 
ready arrived to care for the stock, milk the 
cows, and do such other work as was usually 
attended to by the deacon. 

When Joey drove up to the door with old Simon 
harnessed into his father’s best carriage, Sadie 
met him to say that Rupert had not yet come 
down-stairs, but she would go at once to stay 
with Betty until her brother’s return from the 
station. 

Deacon Crawford did not have the appearance 
of a man who is setting off on a pleasure excur- 
sion, when he got into the carriage with Mr. 
Stockbridge. To tell the truth, he was not a 
little homesick already, and but for the urgency 
of the business would have remained at home 
rather than go away, even for a few days, from 
those whom he loved so dearly. 

Joey cracked the whip as soon as the last words 
had been spoken, and old* Simon, proud, perhaps, 
of the fine harness and new carriage, started off 


128 JOEY AT THE FAIR. 

as if it was his intention to trot a full mile before 
relapsing into his customary lazy jog. 

Then Sadie went to the hay barn, and because 
her mother did not ask any questions as to why she 
was leaving the house before the morning’s work 
had been done, was fairly good proof that Aunt 
Jane understood the situation better than the 
children fancied. 

When Joey returned, half an hour later, Rupert 
met him in the yard in a most friendly manner, 
even offering to do what he might to help him 
with the work while his father was away, and for 
the moment this sudden change of demeanor so 
perplexed and surprised Betty’s master that he 
could make no reply ; but after a time he suc- 
ceeded in saying, that, because Zenas Downs had 
come, there would probably be nothing which he 
could not readily attend to alone. 

“ Besides,” he added, realizing that he was not 
meeting Rupert’s overtures in quite the proper 
spirit, “ you ain’t in very good shape to knock 
around a farm. How’s your arm this mornin’ ? ” 

“ It’s a good deal better, and there isn’t any 
need of my keeping it in a sling ; but I thought 
it would be better to make out that I was hurt 
pretty bad, till after father got through scolding,” 
Rupert said with a laugh, as if he thought it a 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


129 


joke to deceive his parents. “ It’s lucky for me 
father had to go away so soon, else I might have 
got it rough.” 

Joey did not know what reply to make ; he 
failed to understand why a boy would be willing 
to make his parents believe he had been injured 
severely, simply that he might escape a scolding 
which was richly deserved, and would have driven 
on to the stable, but that Rupert insisted on 
riding the short distance with him. 

“ How’ll you fix it about taking the calf to the 
fair, now that your father is away ? ” the lad 
asked as he clambered into the carriage. 

“ I can take care of her and the oxen too, so 
father thinks,” Joey replied thoughtfully, for he 
was wondering why Rupert should so suddenly 
be deeply interested in Betty. 

“ How?” 

It seemed to Joey only right he should explain 
to his cousin how the matter was to be arranged, 
and to his consternation Rupert said gleefully, 
when he understood that Betty’s master would 
remain on the fair grounds, or in Topsham, three 
days : 

“ Say, that will be great, won’t it ? I’ll stay 
with you, and we’ll have no end of a good time ! ” 

“ It seems as if you ought’er stop here on the 

9 


130 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


farm nights, else the women folks may be lone- 
some,” Joey said hesitatingly, not caring to tell 
his cousin outright that he did not want him as 
a companion at that time. “ You’ll come over 
every mornin’, for father has hired a double car- 
riage, an’ Zenas will do the drivin’.” 

“ Not much I won’t ; I’ll go with you, and 
we’ll show the people at Topsham how to have a 
good time ! ” Rupert cried decidedly. 

“ But I shall have to stay with the cattle every 
minute, an’ that’ll he dull work for you.” 

“ I’ll bet you can be coaxed away from the be- 
loved calf if I have plenty of money to spend, and 
I’m going to tell mother this very minute that 
she’s got to give me the cash I need, if she expects 
me to do as father said.” 

Eager to provide himself with a supply of 
spending money, Rupert did not wait till Simon 
had been stabled ; but ran back swiftly to the 
house, and Joey muttered as he cared for the 
horse : 

“ I wonder what it is his mother said he must 
do ? It wouldn’t surprise me a little bit if she’d 
hired him to be friends with me, else why is he 
so terribly sweet this mornin’ ? But I can't have 
him around while I’m at the fair ! Oh dear, oh 
dear, how he is mixin’ things up ! I believe I’d 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


131 


almost rather stop tryin’ for Betty to win the 
blue ribbon, than have him swellin’ ’round, most 
likely gettin’ into trouble ! ” 

Then, as a new thought came into his mind, he 
hurriedly led Simon into the stable, and ran with 
all speed to the hay barn. 

Sadie, watching from the inside, through the 
cracks in the door, saw her brother coming, and 
ran out to meet him, asking as she saw the ex- 
pression on his face : 

“ What is it ? What has happened ? ” 

“ Roop was awfully pleasant when I got back 
from the depot, an’ went out to the stable with 
me, askin’ questions about Betty. I had to tell 
him I was to stay on the grounds all the time the 
fair lasted.” 

“ Well ? ” Sadie asked impatiently as her brother 
paused. 

“ Well, he declares that he’s goin’ with me, an’ 
says w T e’ll show the folks in Topsham how to have 
a good time.” 

Joey then repeated the conversation as it had 
taken place, and Sadie really looked alarmed, as 
she whispered : 

“ We’ll have to tell mother the whole story 
now, and see if she can’t do something to prevent 
him from going.” 


132 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ You go on an’ tell her ; after I water Betty, 
an’ build a better stall than this one, I’ll come up 
to the house. If Roop goes out of doors, make it 
your business to see what he’s about.” 

All was done as Joey desired, and when, about 
an hour before noon, he went to the farmhouse, 
Rupert was sitting on the kitchen door-step talk- 
ing with Sadie. 

“ Mother says it’s all right about my going to 
the fair with you ! ” he shouted while his cousin 
was yet a long distance away, and Joey muttered 
under his breath : 

“ It does beat all, how much of trouble that 
fellow kicks up whenever he ain’t sulkin’.” 

Aunt Jane glanced meaningly at Joey as he 
entered the kitchen, and the boy believed she was 
warning him against making a hasty reply. He 
washed his face and hands deliberately, watching 
meanwhile until his mother entered the pantry, 
when he followed her, whispering after the door 
was shut : 

“ Did Sadie tell you anything?” 

“ Yes, son, an’ while I can’t think he would 
deliberately do that which might harm Betty, I 
don’t want him to stay at Topsliam with you.” 

“ But how can we stop him ? He says he’ll 
have plenty of money to spend, an’ if that’s so, 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


133 


you can make up your mind he’ll show himself 
a bigger simple than when he hired Colonel 
Hartley’s team. The worst of it all is, that folks 
will think I’m glad to have him with me.” 

“ There’s no use mournin’ over it, Joey dear,” 
Aunt Jane said soothingly. “ Perhaps somethin’ 
will change his ideas between now an’ fair time, 
an’ we’ll hope for that.” 

At dinner-time Joey learned to his confusion 
that he was expected to take his father’s place in 
all things pertaining to the house as well as farm, 
for his mother looked at him significantly when 
it was time to ask a blessing, and it did not give 
him any additional confidence in himself when he 
heard Rupert laugh outright as he bowed his head. 

During the afternoon he and his sister had no 
opportunity for holding a private conversation, 
for their cousin remained with one or the other all 
the time, and Joey was so uncharitable as to be- 
lieve that the boy had been persuaded, or hired, 
by his mother to treat them in such an effusively 
friendly way while the deacon was making ar- 
rangements to loan Mr. Stockbridge the money he 
needed. 

Rupert’s seeming friendship served to keep the 
children from worrying lest he might do some 
mischief to Betty, however, and by the time night 


134 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


had come Joey was almost persuaded that if he 
had had any such idea in mind, it was now aban- 
doned. 

When Joey read the evening lesson his cousin 
was present ; but on this occasion he did not ven- 
ture to make sport, as at the dinner-table, except 
that he looked up and winked in a meaning way, 
as if to say he thought it a very good joke. 

From that time until Monday morning, the 
day before Joey was to start to the fair, nothing 
particularly disagreeable occurred at Hillside 
farm. 

Rupert was evidently trying hard to he very 
friendly with his cousins, and only now and then 
did he say anything unkind. He had at first been 
curious as to the whereabouts of Betty ; but when 
he found that neither the children, nor their 
mother, intended to make any definite expla- 
nation as to why the calf had been taken from 
the stable, or where she then was, he seemingly 
lost all interest in her. 

Nothing had happened to take away the desire 
to go to the fair with Joey, and remain there the 
entire three days. Once Aunt Jane mildly ven- 
tured to suggest that he, who was not interested 
in cattle, would find it dull work staying there so 
long ; but he said pertly : 


A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


135 


“ I’ve made up my mind to go, and mother 
has agreed to give me what money I need, so 
there’s no use making any talk about it.” 

When Sadie proposed that he would find it very 
much more pleasant to drive over every morning 
and hack at night, he declared that there “ wasn’t 
money enough in the whole Crawford family to 
hire him to ride behind the best of their horses.” 

“He’s goin’,” Joey said tearfully to Sadie on 
this Monday morning when the two met at the 
hay barn, “an’ before to-morrow night he’ll do 
somethin’ to make me ashamed I ever saw him.” 

Since Sadie was of much the same opinion, she 
could say nothing to encourage him ; but repeated 
the words her mother had used that very morn- 
ing : 

“ All we can do is hope that something will 
happen between now an’ the time you’re ready to 
start.” 

“ I’ve been waitin’ for that ever since father 
went away, an’ it seems as if he was more set on 
goin’ than at first. I’ve a good mind to give up 
lettin’ Betty try for the blue ribbon, an’ take only 
the oxen. Zenas could stay with them, an’ I 
wouldn’t stand the chance of gettin’ into some 
kind of a fuss.” 

“You mustn’t even think of keeping Betty 


136 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


back ! ” Sadie cried vehemently. “ I’d rather tell 
Rupert right up and down that we didn’t want 
him with you, than miss seeing the pretty little 
calf parading with the blue ribbon on her neck.” 

“I don’t believe you could say anything that 
would stop him,” Joey replied with a gesture of 
despair, and then the approach of their cousin 
interrupted the conversation. 


CHAPTER IX. 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 

J oey spent the day before he was to start for 
the fair, looking after this or that piece of work 
which he knew his father would want attended to, 
and was so very busy that he really did not have 
time to care for Betty as he had counted on doing ; 
but the calf did not suffer from neglect, for Sadie 
combed and brushed until her coat was almost as 
bright as Aunt Jane’s milk-pans. 

Rupert walked around the farm more than he 
had ever done before ; but he was so friendly, and 
seemed to think so much of the visit to Topsham, 
that his cousins came to believe he did not medi- 
tate any mischief against Betty. 

Joey came up from the west field half an hour 
before it was time for supper, and, meeting Sadie 
near the hay barn, his first question was as to 
whether anything had been done to discourage 
Rupert from staying on the fair grounds during 
the three days of the exhibition. 

“ He’s bound to go,” Sadie replied sorrowfully. 

“ Of course mother can’t say right up and down 
137 


138 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


that you don’t want him ; but she told Aunt 
Marie this afternoon she was afraid Rupert would 
be lonely and dissatisfied when it came to sleeping 
on a pile of straw in a stable, as you count on 
doing. ” 

“ What did she say to that ? ” Joey asked hope- 
fully. 

“ Only that ‘ dear little Rupert’ had set his 
mind on going, and it would be useless for her to 
say anything against it. There’s but one way for 
you, Joey, and that is to make the best of what 
will be very bad, unless he acts differently from 
the way he has done here on the farm. You’re 
bound to go, because father is away and ex- 
pects you to show the oxen ; but it does seem 
as if you might contrive to keep away from our 
cousin.” 

“ I’ll promise that he won’t have a very gay 
time if he stays where I am, an’ rather than have 
him kick up a row with the cattle, I’ll give him a 
thumpin’, that’s what I’ll do ! ” 

“Of course it’s wrong to fight, Joey, and re- 
spectable boys wouldn’t do anything of the kind, 
unless it was to protect themselves,” Sadie said 
decidedly, and then, lowering her voice to a 
whisper, she added, “It is just as much your 
right to take care of the cattle and Betty, as it 


GOING TO TOPS HAM. 139 

would be to look out for yourself, and I hope 
you’ll do it ! ” 

Then, as if frightened because of having coun- 
seled such a course, Sadie ran rapidly toward the 
house, leaving her brother to complete his prep- 
arations for the journey which was to be begun 
at such an early hour next morning. 

He loaded into the baggage wagon a bushel 
of carrots, which were to be fed to Betty by way 
of dainties ; three bundles of clean, yellow straw, 
intended as a bed for himself, spare buckets, 
halters, and, in fact, everything he thought it 
possible he might need. 

Joey knew that his mother and sister would 
pack in the big valise which had been owned by 
Grandfather Crawford, such of his personal be- 
longings as he might need during the stay of 
three days, and he counted on their bringing him 
sufficient food, so that he would not be under the 
necessity of buying anything to eat. He was 
after a blue ribbon for Betty ; but did not intend 
to spend any more money getting it than would 
be absolutely necessary. 

“ If Roop sleeps in the cattle shed with me to- 
morrow night, I reckon that’ll be all the fair he’ll 
need,” Joey said grimly, as, his preparations 
made, he walked slowly toward the house. “ It 


140 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


surely does seem as if I could keep him straight 
one day, an’ then he’ll be good an’ ready to come 
home with his mother.” 

At the supper table Rupert asked particularly 
concerning the arrangements Joey had made for 
sleeping, and when Aunt Jane suggested that it 
would be hard for him to rough it ” as his 
cousin would be forced to do, he declared boister- 
ously that he knew of nothing which could give 
him more pleasure. 

“ Don’t lose your temper,” Aunt Jane said that 
night when she went into Joey’s room after he 
was in bed. “ I expect you’ll have a hard time, 
Joey dear ; but remember that he’s your father’s 
only sister’s only boy.” 

“ I’ll keep my temper all right, mother, just so 
long as he don’t try to make trouble, an’ then I 
count on lettin’ him think he’s a pair of twins, 
instead of an only boy, for I’m goin’ to Topsham 
to show the cattle, instead of standin’ ’round to 
let him have fun with me.” 

Joey fully expected that his mother would re- 
prove him for even intimating that he might 
adopt strenuous methods with Rupert in case it 
became necessary ; but much to his surprise she 
remained silent while one might have counted 
ten, and then said : 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 


141 


“ I don’t believe you’ll do anythin’ wrong, son ; 
but I want you to keep ever in mind that ‘ he that 
is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and 
he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a 
city.’ Do as you think your father would advise, 
an’ I shall be satisfied.” 

4 

Joey believed he could safely promise this much, 
and at the same time carry out the plan of action 
toward his cousin which he had laid down for 
himself. 

It seemed to Joey as if he had no more than 
fallen asleep, when his mother laid her hand on 
his cheek, as she said : 

4 ‘It’s half-past two, son. Zenas has just gone 
out to feed Simon an’ the cattle you’re to take 
with you. Breakfast will be ready by the time 
you’re dressed.” 

44 But I didn’t count on your gettin’ up, mother,” 
Joey cried as he sprang out of bed. 44 1 told 
Zenas last night that he was to waken me with- 
out disturbin’ you.” 

44 An’ I didn’t intend to let you go with 'an 
empty stomach, wdiile Sadie would be dreadfully 
disappointed if she couldn’t see Betty as she started 
off to get the blue ribbon.” 

4 4 What about Roop?” 

44 1 knocked on his mother’s door before I came 


142 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


here ; it is just possible he’ll decide not to get up 
so early.” 

“ There's no such good luck as that,” Joey re- 
plied grimly, and then he hurriedly began to 
dress. 

Ten minutes later he was in the kitchen, where 
Zenas Downs was already eating as if he did not 
expect to see any more food for several days, and 
Sadie was packing a big basket with the provisions 
which Aunt Jane seemed to believe two boys 
could eat in three days, although it is a question 
if four men would have devoured such a quantity 
in a full week. 

Before Joey had time to say anything, Rupert 
entered the kitchen looking decidedly ill-tempered, 
as he said petulantly : 

“ Why didn’t you start yesterday, instead of 
getting up in the middle of the night, like this ? ” 

“There’s no need of your turnin’ out so early, 
for Zenas will be back here ready to start over 
again by eight o’clock,” Joey replied cheerily. 

“I’m going with you; but you might have 
told me yesterday what time you intended to 
leave.” 

“ It has been spoken of often enough at the table 
for j^ou to have known all about it,” Sadie said 
with a laugh. “ What difference would it have 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 143 

made even if Joey had printed a notice so you 
could keep it in mind ? ” 

“ I should have seen to it that he went yester- 
day,” Rupert said in a surly tone, and Joey re- 
plied : 

“ Not much you wouldn’t. Father laid out for 
us to leave at this time, an’ I should have stuck 
to his plan.” 

Rupert seated himself at the table, declared 
that he didn’t want to eat anything of all that he 
saw there, and concluded by displaying an appetite 
which rivalled the one Zenas had with him. 

When the meal was at an end Joey went out 
for Betty while Zenas brought old Simon to the 
door, and when the calf was hitched to the end 
of the wagon in such a manner that she could 
not get her feet in the 'wheels, but would be forced 
to keep pace with the horse, Rupert appeared with 
two large satchels. 

“ It seems to me that you’re takin’ a good deal 
of baggage,” Aunt Jane ventured to say, and the 
lad replied sharply : 

“ I never travel without clothes enough, and 
you can’t expect me to show myself, even at a 
country fair, in the same suit every day.” 

“It won’t be the handiest thing in the world to 
dress yourself very fine in a cattle shed,” Joey said 


144 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


with a laugh, and then, after kissing his mother 
and sister, he jumped up on the wagon beside 
Rupert, as Sadie called merrily : 

“Be sure that all the people see Betty, and 
then there’ll be no question about your bringing 
back the blue ribbon.” 

Zenas came down the lane with the oxen yoked, 
and the little procession started off on the Tops- 
ham road. 

“Your mother didn’t get up,” Joey said by 
way of opening a conversation with his sulky- 
looking cousin, and Rupert replied sharply : 

“No, she didn’t think it worth while to make 
such a fool of herself as your mother did.” 

“ It’s lucky for you that my mother was willin’ 
to make a fool of herself, else you’d be startin’ 
without any breakfast,” Joey replied mildly, 
keeping in mind that which had been said to him 
the night before. 

“ It wouldn’t have made much difference to me, 
for I could have got all I wanted at the hotel.” 

“ Are you goin’ to board there ? ” and a great 
hope suddenly sprang up in Joey’s heart, to be 
crushed immediately, however, as his cousin said 
carelessly : 

“I’ll leave my baggage there ; but I intend to 
see what it is like on the fair grounds for at least 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 


145 


one night, so that I’ll have something to tell my 
friends when I get home.” 

“ I never stayed there longer than one day ; but 
it don’t strike me there’ll be very much fun goin’ 
on after the gates are closed. All hands will have 
work to do, makin’ ready for the next day, an’ 
you’ll have the place to yourself.” 

Rupert made no reply, and during ten minutes 
or more neither of the lads spoke. Betty seemed 
to understand that she must be on her good be- 
havior if she would carry off the prize, and old 
Simon was perfectly willing to walk as slowly as 
Joey thought necessary. Zenas and the oxen 
were trudging on in advance, moving consider- 
ably faster than did the horse, and when they 
were nearly lost to view in the distance, Rupert 
cried, as if he had just realized that theirs was 
literally a snail’s pace : 

“ Why don’t you send the old scarecrow on 
faster ? The fair will be over before we get 
there.” 

“ I ain’t countin’ on lettin’ Betty walk any 
faster than she’s goin’ now,” and Joey spoke 
decidedly. 

“ Why not ? What harm will it do her to run 
a little ? ” 

“ In the first place I don’t want to get her 

IO 


146 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


heated up, an’ then again she might pull back an’ 
chafe the hair off her head.” 

“Look here, Joe, you folks make regular fools 
of yourselves over that runt of a calf. I’ve seen 
thousands and thousands that were worth more 
money than she is. I wouldn’t give you ten cents 
for her, with the skeleton of a horse such as you 
are driving, thrown in. ” 

“ One reason why you wouldn’t, is that Betty 
ain’t for sale at any price. I’m not sayin’ that 
you haven’t seen better calves ; but I don’t under- 
stand where they were, seein’s you’ve said you 
never went to a cattle show. Betty’s mother is 
a full-blooded, registered Jersey, an’ father paid 
ninety-five dollars for her ; I’ve already had an 
offer of forty dollars for Betty.” 

“ Forty dollars for that thing ? Why the folks 
around here must be crazy ! ” 

“ I’ve seen some here that acted as if they 
were,” Joey said with a chuckle of satisfaction at 
what he thought was a good shot at his cousin, 
but Master Rupert remained in blissful ignorance 
that he had been aimed at. 

Another time of silence, and then the lad from 
the city aimed a blow at Simon with a halter 
which lay near his feet in the bottom of the wagon, 
and the old horse, surprised by the suddenness of 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 147 

the attack when he had been allowed to believe 
he might go on at his own gait, jumped forward, 
pulling Betty down on her knees. 

Joey had been taken quite as much by surprise 
as was the horse ; but he quickly pulled old Simon 
to a standstill, and then got out to see if the skin 
on the calf’s knees had been broken. 

It was if he had a hard struggle to prevent him- 
self from speaking angrily, and he seemed trying 
to control himself while apparently shortening 
the halter. 

Then, when the flush of anger had faded from 
his face, he said as he clambered into the wagon 
once more : 

“ Before we go any further, Rupert, I want you 
to understand that I’m the one who is drivin’ this 
horse, an’ he’ll go as I want him to. Don’t strike 
him again, for there’s a chance of liurtin’ Betty 
past all hope of her takin’ the prize.” 

“ But suppose I want to strike him ? ” 

“It won’t make any difference whether you 
want to or not ; I’m advisin’ you not to do it.” 

“ Oh, you are ? Well there is no reason why I 
should take your advice, and if you don’t make 
him go faster I’ll hit him such a clip as will make 
him see stars ! ” 

“You won’t while I’m watchin’, an’ if you try 


148 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


anything of that kind, it’ll be a case of walkin’ 
from here to Topsham an’ carryin’ your baggage 
with you, for I shall put you out in short order.” 

Joey spoke very mildly ; it was as if he was 
making a statement which he knew would be 
pleasing to his cousin, and Rupert looked at him 
in astonishment. 

“ I’d like to see you lay your hands on me ! ” 
he finally cried, brandishing his fists. 

“ There won’t anything of that kind happen so 
long as you behave yourself ; but I made up my 
mind last night that if you tried to be funny with 
me, or anything that’s under my care, I’d put an 
end to it. I’m goin’ to Topsham fair for three 
days, an’ you won’t be allowed to interfere in my 
business.” 

Then, Betty having come to understand that 
being thrown to her knees was the result of an 
accident, Joey started old Simon once more, and 
Rupert sat looking at the end of his own nose as 
if trying to decide what had caused such a change 
in the boy whom he had believed could be imposed 
upon with impunity. 

Not until an hour had passed, and they were 
within sight of the town, did Rupert speak again, 
and then he said in an angry tone as he displayed 
his pocket-book : 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 


149 


“ I did intend to give you the time of your life, 
Joe Crawford, while we stayed at the fair, and you 
can see that I had money enough to do it. Mother 
gave me seven dollars for being sweet with you 
and your sister while father was away, and you 
might have had your share of it ; hut now I’ll 
spend it all myself.” 

“ That’s the way to do. If you earned seven 
whole dollars simply by bein’ sweet to Sadie an’ 
me, it was just like findin’ money, an’ I hope 
you’ll have a good time ; but I don’t want any 
part of it. All I’m reckonin’ on is that you shan’t 
make trouble for me,” and Joey spoke in a calm, 
even tone, although in his heart he was very 
angry at learning that it had been necessary to 
hire any person to be friendly with his sister and 
himself. 

“ I’ll stop at the hotel, and take my baggage 
with me,” Eupert said stiffly as he replaced the 
money in his pocket, and Joey replied cheerily : 

“ Do you want me to stop on the corner, or are 
you willin’ to drive right up to the door in this 
old wagon, with a calf tied on behind ? ” 

“ I’ll get out just as quickly as I can,” Rupert 
snarled, and although they were yet some distance 
from the corner where the lad had left his cousins 
during the first visit to Topsham, Joey pulled old 


150 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


Simon up, and the boy from the city could not 
well do otherwise than walk the remaining dis- 
tance. 

“ I hope I didn’t say anything very rough to 
him, seein’s his mother is father’s sister ; but it 
was a good thing he got mad, for now I can 
’tend to business without bein’ afraid of what he 
may do,” Joey said to himself as he drove in the 
direction of the fair grounds, and so well satisfied 
was he with the situation that he began whistling 
merrily w'hile Rupert was yet within hearing. 

Zenas was already on the grounds and had 
cared for the oxen, when Joey drove in through 
the big gates. 

“ What did you do with your cousin?” he 
asked in surprise at seeing Joey alone. 

“ He got mad because I wouldn’t let him run 
old Simon while Betty was pullin’ behind, an’ 
has gone over to the hotel to stop.” 

“ Wa’al,” Zenas said thoughtfully, “ I don’t 
want to say anything against your own folks, 
for you ought’er know their ways best ; but if I 
was in your place, I’d rather pay that fellow’s 
bills at the hotel, than have him hangin’ ’round. 
I ain’t got any use for that kind of boys.” 

“ I guess we’ll both have it easier if he stays 
where he is,” and Joey began unfastening Betty, 


GOING TO TOPSHAM. 


151 


that he might lead her into the pen where she 
could stand knee-deep in the yellow straw. 
“ You'd better take Simon an’ go to the hotel 
after the carriage father hired, for there isn’t 
more than time to get back at the hour mother 
reckoned on startin’. We’ll leave the baggage 
wagon where it is, an’ I’ll pull it out of the way 
later.” 

“ Nothin’ you want me to say to the folks at 
home ? ” Zenas asked as he obeyed the com- 
mand. 

“ No ; it isn’t such a great while since I saw 
them, an’ they are likely to be here soon, for 
you’ll drive back with the other horse. Perhaps 
you’d better not say anything about Roop’s goin’ 
to the hotel, unless mother should ask you right 
out.” 

“ I reckon I know when to wag my tongue, 
an’ when to keep it between my teeth,” Zenas re- 
plied sagely, and then Joey was left alone to 
make ready for the coming of visitors. 

It goes without saying that Betty was combed 
and brushed until every particle of dust which 
had fallen on her sleek hide during the journey, 
had been removed, and then Joey paid the same 
careful attention to the oxen, after which he 
stored his belongings, they having been left in the 


152 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


baggage wagon all this time, in a small shed just 
behind Betty’s pen. 

Before the morning’s work was done a throng 
of people was passing and repassing, and the boy 
heard more than one give words of praise to Betty. 

“ She’s the likeliest heifer here,” one farmer said 
emphatically. “ Jonas Crawford always has 
declared that it don’t pay to i-aise any except the 
best of stock, an’ I’m beginnin’ to believe he’s 
right.” 

“ All of his family don’t seem to believe the 
same way,” another farmer replied with a laugh. 
“ Did you see that city boy down at the hotel 
who’s tryin’ to cut a big swarth ? He’s Jonas 
Crawford’s nephew, an’ the kind of stock that I 
wouldn’t like to be obleeged to raise.” 

Then the two passed on, and Joey’s heart began 
to grow as heavy as it previously had been light. 
When Bupert left him in anger, he had the idea 
that it would not be possible for the lad to do him 
any injury while he remained at a distance ; but 
now he understood that the people round about 
knew who he was, and because they spoke of him 
as “ Jonas Crawford’s nephew,” instead of calling 
him the son of John Stockbridge, seemed much 
like a reproach upon the Crawfords. 


CHAPTER X. 


THE FAIR. 

Joey soon had other matters to think about, 
therefore he did not spend much time just then 
in speculating as to what his cousin might he 
doing at the hotel. 

The farmers were eager to see what cattle 
Deacon Crawford had entered, and Joey had 
quite as much as he could well attend to, as he 
answered their many questions, therefore the 
time passed so quickly that he was really sur- 
prised when Sadie and her mother suddenly 
appeared. 

“ Why, how did you happen to come so early ? ” 
he asked, as Sadie entered the pen to pet Betty. 

“It isn’t early; we’re an hour later than 
mother counted on ; but Zenas was so long com- 
ing home with Simon that we couldn’t get away 
any sooner. Where is Rupert ? ” 

Joey told in the fewest words possible of what 

had happened during the journey, and Sadie 
153 


154 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


looked positively pleased ; but her mother said 
gravely : 

“ I am sorry, son, that you had to provoke him, 
because if anything goes wrong Aunt Marie will 
blame you, as she did when Colonel Hartley’s 
horse ran away with him.” 

“But you couldn’t expect that I would let him 
run Simon when Betty was hitched on behind,’’ 
Joey said quickly, and his mother replied : 

“I’m not blamin’ you, Joey, for that boy is 
terribly tryin’, but I wish it hadn’t happened,” 
and Aunt Jane looked worried. 

Before she could say anything more, however, 
Zenas came up with no little show of excitement, 
as he said hurriedly : 

“If the mother of that ’ere city boy is any- 
where ’round, she’d better get down to the hotel 
before he makes a bigger fool of himself than he 
did with Colonel Hartley’s hoss.” 

“ His mother is down near the main hall ; she 
was too tired to walk around the dusty grounds. 
What is Rupert doin’, Zenas ? ” and the lines of 
anxiety on Aunt Jane’s face deepened. 

“You might ask what he ain’t doin’, and I’d 
have a better chance to answer the question,” 
Zenas replied with a grin. “ He’s showin’ quite a 
lot of money, an’ cavortin’ ’round the stable yard 


THE FAIR. 


155 


tellin’ what he an’ his father will do to Joey 
Crawford. Colonel Hartley said I’d better speak 
to you ’bout it, for he’s fixin’ up some kind of a 
game to do Betty a harm, an’ has got cash enough 
to hire one or two of them Topsham toughs to 
help him.” 

44 I’m sure I don’t know how his mother would 
take it, if we should tell her,” Aunt Jane said in 
perplexity. 4 4 She seems to think he never does 
anything out of the way, even when he’s at his 
worst ; but if Colonel Hartley sent word, it seems 
as if she ought to hear it.” 

44 Of course she had,” Sadie added decidedly. 
44 I’ll go with Zenas to find her, and we’ll let him 
repeat just what the landlord of the hotel said.” 

Because Aunt Jane made no protest against the 
plan, Sadie dragged the unwilling Zenas along 
with her, he all the while declaring that he 
44 hadn’t got the nerve to tell that city woman 
what a fool her boy was makin’ of himself.” 

44 Now don’t you go to worryin’ ’bout what he 
may do,” Joey said to his mother when they were 
comparatively alone. 44 1 can take care of Betty, 
an’ myself too.” 

44 But there’s no good reason why you should 
be obliged to defend yourself, especially against 
your own cousin. How I wish your father was 


156 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


here ! Joey ! I’ve just thought of what shall be 
done. Your aunt would be willin’ to go home 
this very minute, for she doesn’t enjoy fairs ; 
we’ll leave here early enough for Zenas to do the 
chores an’ come back with Simon. He can stay 
all night with you, an’ start for the farm just 
before daylight, so no one will know anything 
about it.” 

Joey would have much preferred that the pro- 
gram as set down by his father be carried out ; 
but at the same time he felt relieved at knowing 
Zenas would be with him during such time as the 
mischief might be attempted, if indeed anything 
of the kind was really contemplated by Eupert. 

Then Sadie came back, and alone. 

“ Aunt Marie wanted Zenas to go with her to 
the hotel ; but she doesn’t believe Eupert has been 
doing anything out of the way. She says we 
people down here don’t understand boys of spirit 
who have always lived in the city.” 

“ Neither do we want to,” Aunt Jane said em- 
phatically, and then she closed her lips very 
tightly, as if regretting that she had spoken so 
sharply. 

The Crawford family had but little time in 
which to converse privately, for there were so 
many who knew Aunt Jane, and insisted on 


THE FAIR . 


157 


speaking with her, that soon Betty’s pen was 
surrounded by a laughing, chattering throng, 
nearly all of whom won a place in Joey’s heart by 
bestowing praise upon the calf. 

A full hour passed before Zenas came back, and 
Joey, eager to learn what Rupert’s mother had 
done, led the man into the shed in the rear of the 
cattle pens. 

“Well, what did you see or hear?” the lad 
asked excitedly, and Zenas replied drawlingly : 

“A heap, ’cordin’ to my idees ; your aunt the 
same as said right up an’ down that I’d been tell- 
in’ lies ’bout that idjut of her’n. He was out by 
the stables with four or five of the toughest boys 
in Topsham, all hands of ’em puffin’ away at 
cigarettes of his buyin’, I reckon, an’ she seemed 
to think it was the right thing. The two of ’em 
had a talk, an’ then she told me to let your mother 
know she’d decided to stay at the hotel till the 
family was ready to go home, ’cause it was so 
hot an’ dusty over here.” 

“Do you believe Rupert would dare try to 
make any trouble for me ? ” Joey asked anxiously, 
and Zenas replied gravely : 

“If he’s got money enough to keep the gang 
with him till dark, an’ his mother don’t take him 
home, there’s no knowin’ what he might do in 


158 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


the way of showin’ off his city ‘ spirits.’ ’Cordin’ 
to my idee, Joey, it can’t do any harm to keep 
your eyes open wide to-night. There won’t be 
much danger after to-morrow mornin’, ’less his 
mother gives him more money, ’cause these 
Topsham toughs are only hangin’ ’round for 
what they can get out of him.” 

At this point Sadie joined her brother and 
Zenas, and she said, after hearing the man’s re- 
port : 

“ We’ll be ready to go home at two o’clock, 
Zenas, and you’re to be here at that time.” 

“ What ? Ain’t you goin’ to wait for the hoss 
racin’ ? ” Zenas cried in surprise. 

It seemed necessary Sadie should explain the 
plan as formed by her mother, and instead of 
laughing at the precaution, as Joey supposed he 
would, Zenas approved of it fully. 

“ It’s a good idee,” he said emphatically, “ an’ 
I’ll do better than hangin’ ’round here waitin’ for 
you. I’ll have the team outside the gate sharp 
at two o’clock, an’ you meet me there. We can 
be home a leetle past three, an’ I’ll get one of the 
Harkins boys to do the milkin’, which will give 
me time to drive back here with Simon before 
the show is over for the day. I’ll take good care 
that your city cousin don’t know I’ve got back, 


THE FAIR . 


159 


an’ if he tries any monkey shines, his city 1 spirits ’ 
will be took down a bit.” 

Then Zenas hurried away to see what he might 
of the exhibits before it was time to start for 
home, and, because of their many friends, Joey 
did not have an opportunity of speaking with his 
mother and sister again until they came up to 
say they were ready to return to Hillside farm. 

“It’s just possible your Aunt Marie may take 
Rupert home with her, an’ if she does there’ll be 
no need of Zenas’s cornin’ back,” Aunt Jane said 
as she kissed Joey. “ I hate to leave you, son, 
thinkin’ somethin’ may happen ; but it surely 
does seem as if Zenas could do a power towards 
checkin’ your cousin.” 

“ He won’t try to do anything to me, mother,” 
Joey said confidently. “It’s Betty he’ll aim for, 
but I reckon, the way you’ve fixed things, he 
won’t come out so very far ahead.” 

“ I shall expect to see the blue ribbon on Betty’s 
neck to-morrow,” Sadie whispered, and then she 
and her mother were lost to view in the restless 
.throng which literally choked every passage-way 
and road on the spacious grounds. 

An hour later, when Joey was saying to him- 
self that his mother and sister were probably very 
near Hillside farm, and while he was wondering 


160 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


if his aunt had taken her son with her, the lad 
was startled by hearing a familiar voice cry 
sneeringly : 

“ That’s the prig who hangs around the farm 
praying, as if he was too good to live, and there’s 
the calf he thinks is so wonderful. Look at him 
sharp, so there won’t he any mistake when we 
come this way again.” 

It was Rupert who spoke, and the words 
sounded like a direct menace. 

Joey looked up quickly, saw his cousin in com- 
pany with three or four boys considerably older 
than himself, and all the party, except Rupert, 
stared at him as if obeying the command ; but 
no one ventured to speak. 

“His mother didn’t take him home with her, 
an’ he’ll make trouble for me if he can,” Joey 
muttered to himself ; “but I don’t believe those 
Topsliam fellows will dare go very far on the 
road to mischief.” 

From that moment, however, Joey stood close 
beside Betty, watching the passers-by keenly, 
lest some one should make an open attack on the 
calf, until the throngs dispersed gradually as 
night approached. 

It was nearly five o’clock, the time set for the 
balloon ascension, and but few people were in the 



JOEY LOOKED UP QUICKLY 




THE FAIR. 101 

vicinity of the cattle pens, when Joey heard a 
cautious whisper from the shed in the rear : 

“ There’s no reason why you shouldn’t shut up 
shop, Joey. You won’t see any more visitors 
’round this way to-night, an’ there’s considerable 
to be done, if you agree to what I’ve been hatchin’ 
up while old Simon was slidin’ along over the 
road as if he couldn’t put one foot in front of the 
other.” 

An exclamation of surprise and delight escaped 
Joey’s lips as he understood that Zenas had re- 
turned thus early, and, apparently, so secretly. 

The cattle pens were so constructed that the 
front, which remained open during the day, 
could be entirely closed at night, thus forming a 
stall such as would shelter the animals from the 
weather. 

Without waiting to ask Zenas why he proposed 
that the pens be closed thus early, Joey put in 
place the shutters which served as doors, and in 
a very short time not only Betty, but the oxen, 
were screened from view. 

Then Joey went to the rear shed, and, much to 
his surprise, found that Zenas had brought Simon 
on the grounds. 

“ What are you countin’ on doin’ with the 
horse ? ” he asked in surprise. “We haven’t any 


162 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


room for him here, unless he’s put in this shed 
where we’re supposed to sleep.” 

“ If I’d left him at the hotel it would a’ been 
the same as tellin’ that city cousin of yours that I 
was here. Besides, seein’ that he ain’t worth 
sich a terrible sight of money, we can afford to 
take some chances with him.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” Joey asked, impa- 
tiently. 

“I was thinkin’ that we’d put him in Betty’s 
pen an’ take her inter the shed with us, if it can 
be done without anybody’s knowin’ it, an’ then 
we won’t have to keep such a sharp watch.” 

By this time Joey began to have an inkling of 
Zenas’s plan, and, running back to the pen, he 
made certain there was no one in the vicinity 
whom he knew, after which he led Betty quickly 
into the shed, while at the same moment Zenas 
took Simon to the pen. 

It was not necessary to do anything more, save 
give the animals water, and Zenas remained in the 
shed with the calf, where no one could see him. 

By the time Joey had come to an end of his 
work the fair was closed for the day, and all 
save those whose duty it was to remain on the 
grounds during the night, were supposed to have 
gone away. 


THE FAIR. 


163 


“ Did Aunt Mary try to have Roop go with 
her ? ” Joey asked when he was in the shed ready 
for supper. 

“ He wasn’t anywhere to be seen when we got 
there, an’ she acted as if it was too much work 
to talk. The way I figgered it out was that she 
felt a good bit disgruntled because I told her 
about him, an’ your mother an’ Sadie had to do 
all the talkin’ while we were drivin’ home. I put 
the horse along at a smart clip till we were at the 
farm ; then ran over to Harkins’s, got one of the 
boys to do the chores, an’ started up the back 
road. Never met a soul on the way, an’ came 
in while all hands were taken up with the hoss 
racin’, so we can reckon that nobody knows I’m 
here.” 

Then Joey told him of what Rupert had said, 
and Zenas replied thoughtfully, as he helped him- 
self bountifully to the food Aunt Jane had 
provided : 

“ It wouldn’t surprise me a little bit if your 
city cousin tried to make trouble, for he must 
have fixed it with the Topsham toughs, else why 
did he bring ’em over here ? It’s a sure thing 
they won’t begin their funny business till every- 
body has settled down for the night, so you may 
as well get what sleep you can.” 


164 : 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“ What about yourself ? ” 

“ I’m countin’ on startin’ for Hillside farm as 
soon as day breaks, and Simon will let me sleep 
all the way, ’cause he ain’t given to cuttin’ 
capers.’’ 

Joey felt positive he could not close his eyes in 
slumber ; but he stretched himself out on the 
bundles of sweet straw, and had hardly more 
than done so when he fell asleep. 

Betty nibbled at the hay contentedly, as if she 
had always been accustomed to spending the 
night with her master, and Zenas remained on 
watch till nearly twelve o’clock, when he heard 
that which caused him to awaken Joey. 

“ I reckon your cousin is gettin’ ready to show 
some of that spirit his mother tells about, and it’s 
time for you to be stirrin’.” 

Joey was on his feet in an instant, and even as 
he arose it was possible to hear the sound of foot- 
steps near at hand, as if two or three persons 
were creeping around the rear of the cattle 
pens. 

Zenas, taking his companion by the hand, led 
him to that part of the sned where a crack be- 
tween the boards had been whittled away until 
one could get a good view of the outside, whis- 
pering as he did so : 


THE FAIR. 


165 


“I had the idea that it wouldn’t do any harm 
if I fixed things so’s we could look out, an’ now’s 
the time w r hen such a place is needed.” 

Peering through the aperture, Joey soon dis- 
tinguished the forms of four persons, one of 
whom he felt positive w r as his cousin, when he 
heard him say : 

u That’s the shed, I tell you ; the oxen are in 
the other. Sneak in there and get the calf.” 

“ Why don’t you do it yourself?” one of the 
party asked fretfully. 

“ Because I don’t know anything about hand- 
ling cows, and you agreed to do it for a dollar. 
Here’s the money, and you shall have it the 
minute the calf is outside.” 

In his heart Joey thanked Zenas just then for 
having conceived the plan of putting old Simon 
in Betty’s place, for even if the mischief-makers 
turned him loose, he would not stray very far 
away. 

Just as one of the intruders approached the 
shutter-like door of the pen to open it, a match 
was lighted, and as Rupert held his cigarette to 
the flame, Joey could see him and two of the 
others quite plainly. 

Then the match was dropped, and an instant 
later old Simon was led out, for in the darkness 


166 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


of the pen it would have been difficult to distin- 
guish a horse from Betty. 

u You’ve got that old scarecrow of a horse!” 
Rupert cried angrily, and as he spoke a bright 
flame sprang up as if from the ground, for the 
lighted match had fallen among straw. 

“ Get out of here quick ! ” one of the strangers 
cried as he took to his heels, and by the time 
Joey and Zenas could leap from the shed to fight 
the fire, the last mischief-maker, who chanced to 
be Rupert, was running toward the main gate at 
full speed. 

“ Fire ! Fire ! Help ! Help ! ” Zenas cried at 
the full strength of his lungs. “ Stop those vil- 
lains ! Stop ’em ! ” 

“ Don’t yell so loud ; we can put it out! ” Joey 
cried as he stamped on the burning straw, and 
Zenas replied grimly : 

“ I ain’t afraid we can’t ; but there are bound 
to be watchmen around, an’ it won’t do any harm 
to let ’em know what’s goin’ on.” 

Joey failed to understand fully what Zenas 
meant, and the shouts and exclamations which 
could soon be heard in the distance did not en- 
lighten him until later, when it was all made 
plain. 

The task of extinguishing the flames did not 


THE FAIR. 


167 


prove to be as easy as Betty’s owner had believed, 
for they spread in every direction on the dry 
ground, which was covered with bits of paper, 
hay and other inflammable material, and before 
five minutes had passed Joey was crying for help 
quite as loudly as Zenas had done. 

Fortunately there were a score or more of men 
sleeping nearby in charge of the cattle and horses, 
and after they had been awakened a plentiful 
supply of water was speedily brought. No real 
damage had been done ; but there was little 
question that, if Zenas had not been on watch, a 
disastrous conflagration must have ensued, for 
within five minutes the flames would have fast- 
ened on the wooden structures, when such a fire 
department as Topsham possessed could not have 
made successful fight against them. 

“ It was a close shave,” some one of the men 
who had been working said, when the danger 
had passed. “ Whoever saw it first must have 
had his eyes open all night, else he ate too much 
for dinner an’ was out takin’ a walk with his 
despepsy.” 

At this point Zenas would have told that he 
and Joey were really entitled to praise for having 
given a timely alarm, but Master Crawford 
pinched his arm so sharply that the words had no 


168 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


opportunity of escaping his lips, owing to the cry 
of pain which was forced from him. 

“ Don’t say anythingaboutit,” Joey whispered. 
“ Of course Rupert is the one to blame ; but 
father wouldn’t like it if we made trouble for 
him when there was no good reason.” 

Finally the men who had aided in extinguish- 
ing the flames went to their several sleeping 
places, and the representatives from Hillside farm 
were at liberty to look after their property. 

Old Simon had walked quietly back into the 
pen when the blaze first sprang up, and was 
munching the hay which had been provided for 
Betty, as if knowing full well that it was a better 
quality than he was usually served with. The 
oxen were chewing their cuds contentedly, and 
the calf was lying down, when Joey made the 
rounds of the buildings to assure himself that 
all was well with the animals under his care. 

“ There’s little chance that precious cousin of 
yours will try to work any more mischief this 
night,” Zenas said when it was seen that no harm 
had been done. “ ’Cordin’ to my idee I’d better 
pull out for Hillside farm, seein’s there’s no more 
need of me here. I can get a good many winks 
between now an’ time to milk.” 

Joey knew that Zenas would be wise to start at 


THE FAIR. 


169 


once, instead of waiting until the time he had set 
for the journey, and, therefore, made no protest ; 
but said earnestly as he helped harness Simon : 

“ I hope you won’t say anything about the fire 
where Aunt Marie can hear you, for she might 
guess that Rupert was mixed up in the mis- 
chief.” 

“ She wouldn’t believe that agin him if she’d 
even seen the little rascal drop the match,” Zenas 
replied with a laugh, and then he drove slowly 
away, leaving Joey feeling really homesick. 


CHAPTER XI. 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 

Joey went into the shed with Betty, and barri- 
caded the door by rolling two bales of hay against 
it, for although he believed, as did Zenas, that 
there was no probability Rupert and his precious 
acquaintances would make a second attempt at 
mischief that night, it seemed necessary he should 
protect himself against intrusion. 

Then he laid down on the straw, thinking it 
might be possible to sleep ; but his eyes had never 
been open wider than at that moment. He re- 
viewed all that Rupert had said or done since 
coming to Hillside farm, and this, quite naturally, 
had the effect of making him very bitter toward 
his cousin. He wondered what would have been 
the result if Betty had been led out, with three or 
four reckless boys to frighten her, and realized 
that if the lad from the city had succeeded in his 
designs, the calf must have lost all chance of 
winning the blue ribbon, even if she had not been 
ruined. 


170 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


171 


If Rupert had carried out his plan fully, he 
could not have benefited himself in the slightest 
degree ; there would have been no sport in simply 
setting Betty free, and nothing save in j ury to the 
calf and a grievous disappointment to Deacon 
Crawford’s entire family, could have resulted. 
Therefore did the intended wrong seem all the 
more malicious. 

With such thoughts in his mind Joey could not 
sleep, and when the second day of the fair dawned, 
he was as wide awake as at the moment when 
Zen as went away. 

It was really a relief to be able to work, and he 
set about caring for the cattle, after leading Betty 
into her pen, with a firm resolve to dismiss all 
thoughts of Rupert, giving his undivided atten- 
tion to exhibiting the live stock from Hillside 
farm. 

He groomed the oxen first, taking due care to 
spend as much time on their toilets as on Betty’s, 
and but few visitors had arrived when Sadie 
suddenly appeared before him. 

“ Why are you here so early ? ” he cried in sur- 
prise. “The gates can’t be hardly more than 
opened. Where is mother ? ” 

“ She isn’t coming to-day. When we got home 
last night Aunt Marie said right up and down 


172 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


that she wouldn’t come to-day, because she had 
such a headache, and of course mother couldn’t 
leave her alone.” 

“I don’t know why she couldn’t,” Joey cried 
sharply, ceasing his labor of rubbing Betty’s soft 
coat to make it shine. “ If Aunt Marie don’t like 
the fair, that’s no reason why mother, who doesn’t 
have a chance to go away like this more than 
once a year, should hang around home with 
her ! ” 

“It wouldn’t do, Joey, to leave father’s only 
sister alone, and I really don’t think mother cared 
much about coming to-day. She says she will 
surely be here to-morrow, whether Aunt Marie 
stays at home or not. When Zenas found out 
that I was the only one coming, he insisted on 
starting as early as possible, and, once on the road, 
drove faster than would have pleased father, I’m 
afraid. What happened last night ? I know by 
the way Zenas acted that something went wrong ; 
but he wouldn’t open his mouth about it.” 

Joey could do no less than tell his sister the 
whole story, more particularly since she had al- 
ready noticed traces of the fire, and by the time 
he had concluded the recital Sadie was as angry 
as she well could be. 

“He’s a regular villain, that’s ” 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


173 


“ I wouldn’t say another word, Sadie ; I felt 
last night as you do, but I’ve kind’er got over it. 
There was no great harm done, an’ it ain’t very 
likely he’ll try to do anything more. Of course 
he won’t have the nerve to stay much longer 
at Hillside farm, after I tell him that he was seen 
by both of us, an’ then we’ll be alone by ourselves 
once more. Where is Zenas ? ” 

“ He stopped at the hotel to stable the horse ; 
but he should be along very soon. Is there any- 
thing you want done ? ” 

“No ; I only thought that it would be a good 
idea to have him stay with me till we found out 
what Rupert was doin’.” 

“I’m counting on spending this day with you 
and Betty, and surely I can keep as sharp a watch 
as Zenas. He ought to have a chance to see 
something of the fair, and if we look after the 
cattle till night, he’ll be willing to attend to them 
to-morrow, so that you and I can go around to- 
gether.” 

Sadie had hardly more than made this explana- 
tion when Zenas appeared, looking so grave that 
Joey, made timid by the events of the previous 
night, asked falteringly : 

“What’s the matter now, Zenas? Is Rupert 
cuttin’ up any more shines ? ” 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


174 

“ He’s where he won’t make any trouble for 
Betty, unless the deacon gets back mighty soon 
an’ does what he can to get him out’er the 
scrape.” 

“What do you mean?” Sadie asked impa- 
tiently. “ Please don’t keep on being mysterious, 
as you have been ever since we left home.” 

“ I reckon there ain’t any great amount of mys- 
tery ’bout this,” Zenas replied. “ Do you remem- 
ber, Joey, we heard a lot of shoutin’ last night that 
sounded as if it came from the main gates, just 
after the villains ran away ? ” 

“Yes ; what about it ? ” 

“ Wa’al, the watchmen caught that precious 
cousin of yours, an’ one of the gang that was 
with him. They are down in the jail now, an’ 
in mighty hard sleddin’, as near as I can make 
out.” 

“In jail!” Sadie cried, her cheeks paling. 
“Oh, Joey, can’t we do something to help him ? 
It was terrible wicked of him to think of hurting 
Betty ; but you know he didn’t mean to set the 
pens on fire ! ” 

“ That much is certain, for I saw him drop the 
match after lightin’ the cigarette, an’ am sure 
he wasn’t countin’ on doin’ any more than fix it 
so’s Betty couldn’t take the prize.” 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


175 


“ But what can we do ? Oh, what can we do ? ” 
Sadie cried as the tears overflowed her eyelids. 
“It’s so dreadful to think of him in jail ! ” 

“You can’t do anything yet a while,” Zenas 
interrupted. “Once he’s arrested, it’s a case of 
havin’ some kind of a trial before he can be set 
free.” 

“We might telegraph for father to come home 
at once,” Sadie suggested. ‘ ‘ The people of Tops- 
ham wull believe what father says, and surely he 
could get Rupert out of jail ! ” 

“ I’d ’a done that same thing without waitin’ 
to hear whether you wanted me to or not,” Zenas 
said quickly ; “but the trouble is that you don’t 
know where your father is stoppin’ in the city, an’ 
we’d have to find out that much before you could 
send any kind of a message.” 

“ Aunt Marie would know,” Sadie said after a 
pause. “ Perhaps you ought to drive right back 
and tell her what has happened.” 

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idee for Joey to 
go down to the jail first ? Your cousin sent word 
to Colonel Hartley early this mornin’, askin’ him 
to tell Joey what had happened.” 

“But what can I do for him?” Joey asked 
helplessly. 

“ That’s what I don’t know ; but he wants to 


176 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


see you, an’ the question is whether you’re willin’ 
to go ?” Zenas said gravely. 

“ Why shouldn’t I be willin’ ? ” Joey asked in 
surprise. 

“ Wa’al, if I owned Betty, an’ any city chap 
had been floatin’ ’round Topsham all one day 
toyin' to get somebody help him do her a mischief, 
I ain’t certain as I’d raise a hand to help him, 
even if he was goin’ to be hanged.” 

“But Joey couldn't refuse to help Rupert now 
that he’s in such terrible trouble,” Sadie cried 
sharply. “Even if he had carried Betty away 
last night, we would be bound to do what we 
could for him ! ” 

“Yes, I s’pose that’s the way your father would 
look at things ; but I’m built different. How- 
somever, if Joey’s goin’ to see whether he can 
help the fellow that’s tried to do him harm, it’s 
time he started. I’ll stop here to look after the 
cattle — ” 

“ An’ I’ll stay with you,” Sadie said decidedly. 
“Joey will feel better if he knows that two of us 
are watching. Now go at once,” she added, turn- 
ing toward her brother, “and perhaps he’ll know 
how to telegraph for Uncle John to send father 
home as soon as possible.” 

It was a mournful .errand, and while Joey 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


177 


would have felt well pleased had it been possible 
to avoid it, there was no question in his mind but 
that he was in duty bound to do whatsoever lay 
in his power to aid Rupert. 

Half an hour later he stood at the door of the 
county jail, and when his ring at the bell was an- 
swered by a blue-coated official, he asked timidly 
if Rupert Stockbridge was there. 

“ Are you Deacon Jonas Crawford’s son ?” the 
officer asked, and Joey replied in the affirmative. 

*‘The Stockbridge boy says you’re his cousin.” 

“ So I am, sir.” 

“ Do you know what he did on the fair grounds 
last night ? ” 

Joey hesitated; he was afraid he might say 
something which would plunge Rupert into 
greater trouble, and yet there was no thought in 
his mind of telling other than the absolute truth 
in case it became necessary. Finally he said in a 
tremulous tone : 

“ If you please, sir, I’d rather not say anything 
about it till father gets back. We’ll try to tele- 
graph him to-day, an’ when he comes I’ll know 
just what I ought ’er do.” 

“Well, you may come in, for I’ve got no real 
right to make you talk unless you’re willing ; 
but the story is that your cousin tried to do you 


178 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


an injury last night, yet you’re the only person 
he has asked to see. ” 

Joey entered the gloomy-looking building, and 
as he was being conducted along the iron corridor, 
seeing on every hand evidences of the result of 
evil doing, it seemed to him that one had better 
be dead than rightfully confined in such a place. 

Then the officer unlocked a cell door, motioned 
for Joey to enter, and said as he locked the door 
upon him : 

“ Pound on the grating when you are ready to 
come out, and don’t get impatient if I’m a little 
slow in answering, for the biggest part of our 
force is at the fair to-day.” 

Rupert was lying on the bed, his face buried in 
the blanket which served as a pillow, and not un- 
til the turnkey had gone away did he look up. 

“ Why didn’t you come before?” he asked, 
showing to Joey a swollen, tear-stained face. 

“ I didn’t know you were here till Zenas brought 
word from Colonel Hartley that you wanted to 
see me, an’ then I came as quickly as possible.” 

“ I’m nearly dead, and when father comes back 
lie’ll make these people sorry for treating me in 
this way,” Rupert cried, showing more of anger 
than repentance. 

“ What do you want me to do ?” Joey asked, 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 179 

not knowing what reply to make to his cousin’s 
threats. 

“ Help me to get out of here, can’t you ? ” 

“Zenas said that nobody could help you out 
until you’d had a trial. If I knew how to send a 
telegram to father, I’d ask him to come straight 
away. Do you s’pose he’s stoppin’ at your 
home ? ” 

“ No ; our house is shut up, and I heard father 
tell mother that he and Uncle Jonas would go to 
a hotel, but he didn’t say which one. Do you 
think I’m going to stay here till your father gets 
ready to come back ? ” Rupert demanded fiercely, 
as if believing it was in his cousin’s power to set 
him free. 

“ I don’t see what else you can do. Zenas said 
you was reg’larly arrested, an’ there’s nothin’ you 
or I can do to fix it. Shall I send for your 
mother ? ” 

“I don’t care what you do ! You’ve got me 
into this scrape, and if you don’t get me out of 
here before night, I’ll make things hot for some- 
body.” 

“ How did I get you into the scrape ? ” Joey 
asked sharply, for he was not disposed to be 
patient with the lad while he was in such a defiant 
mood. 


180 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


“You wouldn’t let me stay with you on the 
fair grounds, and I got in with a lot of fellows 
who were trying to make mischief. ” 

“Now see here, Rupert, I don’t want you to 
begin by whinin’ ’round ’bout my not lettin’ you 
stay with me, same’s you did when you stove up 
Colonel Hartley’s team. Sadie an’ your mother 
both know that you wouldn’t come with me, but 
marched off to the hotel, mad because I wouldn’t 
let you run Simon while Betty was fastened to 
the wagon. Stand up like a man, even if you are 
in trouble, an’ tell the truth about it. It won’t 
help a little bit for you to try to throw the blame 
on somebody else.” 

“There ain’t any blame!” Rupert cried an- 
grily. “ I wasn’t doing a thing, except walking 
along minding my own business, when those 
miserable officers caught me.” 

“I came down here to help you if I could, be- 
cause you’re my cousin, an’ I’ll do everything I 
can, if you act decently. But don’t say that you 
hadn’t done anything, or that you were walkin’ 
along peaceably when the officer arrested you. 
Zenas an’ I saw you an’ the Topsham toughs when 
you came up near Betty’s pen. You was to give 
one of them a dollar if he’d lead the calf out, an’ 
while talkin’ you lighted a cigarette, thro win’ the 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


181 


match on the ground. Then the fire started, an’ 
you ran away ; I reckon the officers got hold of 
you inside the gates. If they take you to court 
for settin’ a fire, it won’t help you because your 
father’s a rich man. I’m in hopes no one saw 
what you did, except Zenas an’ me, although 
everybody must believe one of you fellows started 
the fire, else why were you runnin’ away, or what 
business did you have on the fair grounds at that 
time of night ? ” 

Joey spoke gravely, with no note of anger in 
his tones, and Rupert looked up at him in sur- 
prise not unmixed with fear. 

“Did you hear what I said?” he asked in a 
whisper. 

‘ ‘ Zenas an’ I heard all the talk while you were 
near the pen, an’ when you lighted the match 
we saw your faces plainly. Besides that, those 
fellows told around the hotel that you was tryin’ 
to get ’em to help do somethin’ to Betty.” 

In a twinkling Rupert’s anger gave way to 
most abject fear ; until that moment he had 
not supposed any one knew of the part he had 
played, and he was terrified. He understood 
the position in which he had voluntarily placed 
himself in order to punish his cousin for a 
wrong that had never been committed, and 


182 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


on the instant he was plunged into a frenzy of 
alarm. 

“You won’t tell what you know, Joey, you 
won’t ? You couldn’t see me stay in such a hor- 
rible place as this, and if you don’t tell, no one 
else will know anything about it,” he cried, falling 
on his knees in front of his cousin, and a most 
painful half-hour did Joey spend. 

It was a long time before he could calm Ru- 
pert, and then he tried to convince the lad that 
the only way out of the trouble was by telling 
the truth. He refused to say that he would not 
tell what he knew, fearing lest he might be 
forced to do so ; but agreed not to speak with any 
save the members of his own family, and Zenas, 
until his father returned, and advised Rupert to 
consent that his mother be summoned. 

A difficult task did Joey have to make the 
terrified boy listen to reason ; but, finally, he 
grew more calm, and it was agreed that Mrs. 
Stockbridge should be kept in ignorance of what 
had occurred, at least twenty-four hours longer, 
when, if nothing had been heard either from 
Deacon Crawford or Mr. Stockbridge, the shame- 
ful story should be told at Hillside farm. 

“ I’ll come and see you to-night, if they’ll let 
me,” Joey said as be began pounding on the 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 183 

grating, heeding not Rupert’s pleadings that he 
remain. 

“ I can't stay here alone ! ” he wailed, and Joey 
said firmly : 

“ There’s nothing else you can do, an’ I mustn’t 
stop any longer, because Sadie is waitin’ for me.” 

“ It won’t do any harm if you stop a little while 
longer,” Rupert begged, and, fortunately for 
Joey, the turnkey came up just then. 

Five minutes later he was in the street, his 
heart so full of sorrow that he had entirely for- 
gotten his hopes concerning Betty, although 
knowing full well the awards would be made that 
forenoon. 

He was walking slowly back to the fair grounds, 
with more of grief in his heart than he had ever 
known before, when he heard Sadie’s voice, and, 
looking up, saw his sister coming toward him 
rapidly, her face as radiant with joy as his was 
gloomy with sadness. 

“Oh, Joey! Why don’t you walk faster? 
Betty has got the blue ribbon, and the prize ani- 
mals are to be paraded right away. You must 
be there to lead her ! ” 

“ Then she got the award ! ” Joey cried, the 
sorrow because of Rupert’s trouble giving way 
before the flood of happiness which swept over 


184 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


him. “I knew we’d need only to let the people 
see her ! What about the oxen ? ” 

“ They’ve got the second prize, and Zenas will 
drive them around. Do hurry, for it would take 
away half my pleasure if you didn’t show Betty 
on the track with the others ! ” 

Joey quickened his pace, and then slackened it 
as he said : 

“I saw Rupert, an’ it was hard work to get 
away ” 

“ I don’t want to hear about him now,” Sadie 
cried quickly. “ Let’s have all the pleasure we 
can out of Betty’s good fortune, and then we’ll 
talk about him.” 

There was no resisting Sadie when her heart 
was set on anything, so her father always said, 
and soon Joey was running at full speed, leaving 
her behind, as she begged him to do, that there 
might be no question as to his taking part in the 
triumphal procession. 

Betty was given a place directly behind the 
horses, when the animals which had won the blue 
ribbon were marshalled in line, and one would 
really have believed she understood that she was 
being honored, for never before had Sadie seen 
her hold her head so high, or step so daintily. 

“ That’s what you may call a handsome 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


185 


heifer!” Joey heard more than one say, as he 
marched by Betty’s side holding the halter, al- 
though there seemed little need of such precau- 
tion, for the pretty creature acted as if she knew 
and intended to keep her place in the line, and 
for the moment the boy almost forgot his cousin. 

Then, when the procession was passing the 
grand stand, greeted by the most generous ap- 
plause from the spectators, Joey uttered a cry of 
glad surprise, for there, with a valise in his hand 
as if he had just come from the train, stood his 
father. 

“ Good for you, Joey ! ” the deacon shouted, as 
he waved his hat boyishly. ‘ ‘ Good for you an’ 
Betty ! ” 

Had it been possible to make his father under- 
stand what he said, Joey would have asked him 
to come to the cattle-pens as soon as the parade 
was over; but he could not have made himself 
heard amid all that tumult. 

When, however, the procession had passed and 
repassed the grand stand, and Joey had led Betty 
into her pen, he found his father awaiting him, 
and would have told the shameful story at once, 
but that the deacon interrupted him by saying : 

“ I’ve already heard a good part of it, Joey, an’ 
can come near guessin’ what you may have to 


186 


JOEY AT THE FAIR. 


tell ; but I don’t want to hear it — that is, not un- 
til later. We’ll send Zenas back for your mother 
an’ Aunt Marie, an’ it’s possible we can help the 
foolish boy, if he leaves town at once. It don’t 
stand to reason that you an’ Sadie have had any 
too much enjoyment out of this fair — so leave 
Betty in the pen — she’ll be safe enough now, an’ 
go around with your sister till I come back.” 

All the care was lifted from Joey’s heart now 
that his father was at home again, and from that 
time, until nearly dark, he and his sister wan- 
dered around the grounds, gazing at the many 
strange and beautiful things to be seen. 

Then the deacon, looking very grave, came for 
them. 

“ The carriage is at the gate, chickens, an’ we’ll 
all go home for the night. Zenas will stay here 
to look after the cattle, an’ we’ll come back for 
them to-morrow.” 

“ What about Rupert ? ” Joey asked. 

“ lie has gone back to the city with his mother, 
to whom he told all the truth, as nearly as I can 
judge. We’ll send your Aunt Marie’s baggage 
on the mornin’ train ; she didn’t want to show 
herself ’round here any more than could be 
helped, an’ I can’t say that I blamed her.” 

That evening, when the Crawford family were 


THE BLUE RIBBON. 


187 


seated on the broad stone step in front of the 
kitchen door, happy at being together once more, 
the deacon said, speaking to no one in particular, 
as he rubbed his cheek against Sadie’s, and laid 
his hand on Joey’s head : 

“ If I was given to twistin’ Scripture texts, I’d 
have one of ’em read, ‘ Good children maketh 
glad parents,’ an’, my chickens, your father and 
mother understand this night, if they never did 
before, how much God has blessed ’em in their 
home ! ” 

THE END. 



























































LIBRARY OF CONGRESS^ 



